Vana
by SuperMaz
Summary: The half mortal, half vampiric daughter of Kain aids her father in his domination of Nosgoth. First chaps redone without as much Marysueness. R&R please!
1. The Village

This story is meant to be set roughly 200 years into Kains ruling of Nosgoth. So there are still quite a few humans running about and such.

**Chapter 1**

**The Village**

In the dark shadows of the cooling night there lurked a lonely woman, casually running her fingers through her long golden hair, and quietly humming to herself.

Her emerald eyes glanced over to the ale house, situated on the outskirts of this tiny village, practically sitting on the forests doorstep. Somewhere, in the distance a wolf howled at the pale, ice white moon, which cast a gentle glow across the land.

A faint breeze rustled some leaves on the tree tops, and a few moments later, the silent night was broken by a laughing drunkard, loudly leaving the pub, saying his good-byes to his sweethearts and clumsily blowing kisses as the door came to a close in his face. Alone now, he stumbled across the mud road, muttering to himself with an idiotic grin stretching across his fat, slimy lips. He wasn't physically in good shape, he may, in his younger years, have been a hunter, maybe even a soldier of some sort, but now, the last years of incessant drinking and eating had taken their toll on his once firm, masculine stomach, and it was now a large unkept mass of flab, hanging off his body like a sort of parasite, which he occassionally scratched and rubbed. His hair was greasy and had it been clean, it would be a mahogany brown, coming down in light curls and bouncing freely about his face and shoulders. Now the curls resembled old bed springs, poking out lazily and shining grusemly in the moonlight.

'Disgusting', she thought to herself, as she raised her soft rose pink lip in disgust. Reaching down she neatened up her elegant dress, which was white, golden and mostly purple, the sort of purple the midnight sky turns in the winter, almost complete black, but with a hint of that wonderous dark lavender colour. She took a deep breath through her nose and sighed out through her mouth quietly, before she approached the drunkard.

He looked up at the golden haired woman approaching him, and had he been sober he may of treated her like he would treat the daughter of a rich aristorcrat, which she may of been. She seemed to glide towards him, lowering her eyelids to let her long jet-black eyelashes flutter silently.

"Well..." He grinned, as he straightened himself up and lowered his head, trying to be polite, but she knew this was an act. "What is a lady, such as yoursellf," he slurred "doing out in the village so late at night, and all on her own?" He let his eyes survey the rest of the village, then the shadows from where she emerged, yet there was no sign of a guard of any sort.

"I am lost." She replied, stepping closer to the man, she caught his eyes falling to examine her breasts, and she placed a cold finger under his chin to bring his gaze back up to hers.

He smirked, straightening up once more, and he was roughly about four inches taller than her, and she glanced up to him from under her dark eyelashes, the moonlight reflecting in her flawless green eyes.

He wrapped one of his bulky arms around her svelte figure, letting his sweaty hand rest on her right hip, and he began to direct her in the direction of his home, on the north point of the village.

Once again the wolf howled, closer now, probably lurking in the forest, and she thought she could just discern a faint rustling sound in the bushes between the trees.

The man proceeded to stumble across the street, attempting to keep hold of this beautiful young woman, who had knitted her eyebrows in disapprovment and frustration, she hated having to do this, but it wasn't long now until she could...

"Why don't you stay with me tonight, then, maybe tomorrow, you can find your way back home." He said, tightening his grip round her, and now dragging her down the street; in his mind, she _was_ now going to his house, and once there, she would _have_ to repay him for his generous hospitality...and he would be the one to choose the way in which he was repayed.

Before his left foot could reach the ground he felt a great pain rush through his chest, it only lasted a split second and forced the air from his lungs, then it seemed that his entire torso went numb, as the force from whatever had hit him in the chest caused him to fall to the floor, spluttering as blood came flowing from his mouth. He looked up to the shadow looming over him, holding something to its mouth, and as his vision became blurred he realised that it was the woman whom he was in the process of planning his night with. She was now holding his heart in her right hand as if it were a mere apple, and she was sucking on it slowly. Upon finishing it, she loosened her gip and let it fall to the mud road like rotten fruit. Then, his vision became darker, and darker, the moon ceased to shine, the ominious figure of the blood-drinking beauty seemed to lose its shape, and mix with the night sky like runny paint, until everything became black...

She licked the blood from her lips, and surveyed the dark street, which was, for the moment deserted, and flicked her long hair over her shoulders. She looked down at the drained heart at her feet, a small puddle of inky ebony coloured blood shining in the moonlight like a serene lake under the night sky.

A wicked grin slid across her delicate lips as she recalled the expression upon the mans face as he watched her drink his life-blood from his still pulsating heart, how dissapointing though, that he didn't even live long enough to ask her that oh so familiar question, "What are you?", such a shame that he would never know _what_ it was that killed him.

She was soon distracted from her thoughts as she heard the rustling once more in the bushes by the trees, followed by the chilling howl of the wolf, which sounded frighteningly close, in fact, it may have even been watching from the intense shadows of the forest just before her.

A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered her encounter with a werewolf, a ferocious snarling beast, lunging at her with its razor-like claws and bloodstained teeth, twice her size and with glaring eyes filled wth contepmt, hunger and malice. Just the thought of it also reminded her of the life threatening injuries it had inflicted upon her, but neither had claimed victory, both were so exhausted, each staggering uncontrollably from the great loss of blood and both in so much pain that just lifting an arm sent an agonizing stabbing sensation though their bodys, so they each took one step back at a time, watching the enemy closely, fists clenched at the ready.

Since that day, she has never once encountered that same wolf, one of the few creatures in Nosgoth that proved a real challenge to her, and in a way, she hald a deep respect for it, it's agility, strength and determination to beat her, and she only hoped that it thought the same of her, and that it wasn't waiting for another fight somewhere in the forest.

She focused on the shadows, squinting to try and discern whatever it was that made the rustling noise. It may have only been a bird, or fox, but at any rate, she couldn't afford to be ambushed here, not on the edge of a village where most of the men would still be awake. Imagine how she would look standing at the foot of the decapitated body of a man who's heart was right beneath her, even worse, what if it was vampire hunters, who had just watched her tear out the vital organ and drink from it, there was no chance that they would listen to her usual 'excuse', which was "I am no vampire fool, have you ever looked into the eyes of the damned? I have, and they are golden, mine are not.." And it worked, because it was true. Vampires irises were a beautiful almost incandescent yellowish gold, and every vampire hunter knew this...but if it was a band of hunters, she wouldn't be let off this time, and her secret would finally be revealed...

In the shadows, the moonlight that seeped in through the thinning foilage shone over something moving silently, moving towards her cautiously, with ruffled silver fur and an arched bony spine almost slicing through the creatures skin.

A werewolf.

As it emerged from its hiding place it straightened its horrific long back, reaching a height of roughly 8ft, over 2ft higher than her. She froze, paralysed with fear and shock, could it be the same one? No, this one was bigger, it's legs and arms were undoubtedly better built, meaning that it was clearly stronger, and that this would be a harder challenge for her to compete with.

Yet as she looked on the creature seemed to morph slowly, first, it began to shrink slightly, the fur covering its body shortening to reveal pale skin, apart from the fur upon the top of its head which became longer and turned a perfect snow-white, covering the most part of its back. Finally, she began to make out that it was a man, his chest bare, masculine and pale, and as the fur disappeared from his face it revealed his handsome features, a perfect nose much like her own, thin jet black lips, high well defined cheek bones and those fierce glowing golden eyes. She knew this man, or vampire, as he was, oh yes, she knew him well; the ruling vampire of Nosgoth, the feared, hated and powerful...

"Kain." It was dangerous to even whisper his name in a mortal village, for if they knew that he was _here, _then the alarm would be raised, and any man or boy able to fight would come charging out from their tiny abodes, swords drawn, swearing to protect their families and send him from whence he came. In other words, they would be slaughtered. Kain was not exactly re-nouned for his mercy or leniency, he was a ruthless killer, regardless of age or sex.

She stared at him, not noticing the other six figures emerging from the forest, not disguised as werewolves, but in their true vampiric forms. Each standing a little behind their master, watching the beautiful woman with keen eyes.

Kain stepped forth, folding his arms and sighing as he looked at the corpse.

"My dear, you have all the mortals you need inside you dungeons, why come praying on humans in Raziels village?" he said smirking. She caught a glimpse of Raziels handsome face, and his lips curling upwards in a smile which indicated that he expected an apology of some sort.

She breathed deeply, kicking the corpse aside and walking to meet Kain, and then placing her hands on her gently curving hips, and spoke...

"Forgive me Raziel, I shall make it up to you." She said looking past Kain and smiling innocently. Raziel continued to smile and Zephon shifted restlessly behind him. Then she turned back to Kain, who was roughly half a foot taller than her, and he looked down at her, one eyebrow raised waiting for her to speak.

"How did you ever find me?" Kain broke out into a quiet chuckle, his huge chest shaking as he did so, then he lowered his head and looked her straight in the eyes, his lips breaking out into a malevolent grin, bearing his ice-white teeth. "I always know where you are Vana, it is easier to pinpoint you than it is my other children, because you are of my own blood."


	2. The Sanctuary of the Clans

**Chapter 2**

**The Sanctuary of the Clans**

Kain seated himself upon his throne, shaped like a deadly spider clinging to its helpless prey, and in this case, the innocent insect was the crumbling pillar of Balance. Leaning back he rested his hands upon the stone arms of the throne and tapped his fingers impatiently, waiting for his 'children' to stand still and listen to what he was about to say. Vana would stand right beside his throne on the left, and Raziel would be situated on Kains right in the actual circular platform before the pillars, along with the rest of his brethren who all had their own specific places to stand in.

Vana had changed her dress quickly before the meeting, and now wore something a little more subtle. A plain tightfitting crimson dress with a high collar rising behind her neck. All the seams were golden and up the sides were two splits ending at her upper thighs revealing her slender, silky smooth legs. She was the last to enter the sanctuary and strode straight up the platforms steps and across to her father, who watched as her eyes met those of Raziels. He knew that she had strong feelings for his eldest lieutenant, and he had no quarrel with it, as long as their relationship did not cause any sort of trouble, or interfere with tasks that were to be met. Once she was stood beside Kain, with her bare arms folded, the meeting began, and Kain was the first to speak.

"Following recent 'rumours' of human rebels in the west of Dumahs fortress, I have decided that a scout is to be sent into the mortal city, to gather information and to verify these tales."

Vana didn't know much about what had been said earlier that night, all she knew at this point was that one of Dumahs generals had overheard vampire hunters discussing a meeting in the city concerning the 'parasitic race'; the vampires.

"But my lord, how do we infiltrate the city? The only entrance we know of is the river, and I rarely see them using that way." Said Dumah, who lives to the north of the Abyss, and the north-east of the human city.

"Precisely," said Kain raising a finger" They have been foolish in _not_ using the river, because that indicates that there is perhaps another entrance, one that is hidden from view." Dumah nodded in understanding, then Zephon spoke, unfolding his arms.

"Who do we send my lord?"

All eyes were watching Kain waiting with baited breath for his response, who would be the fly sent into the spiders web?

"Vana."

All were silent, save for Vana who gasped in disbelief, her father was sending her into a mortal city, it was complimenting, he knew that she could take on a squadron of hunters, but there were hundreds to be gathered for this alleged meeting, and that was a little too much for her to fight single-handedly. Yet she understood the reasons for his decision, and so did the lieutenants.

It was because she had none of the vampire traits, golden eyes, lifeless white skin revealing some of the black veins that flowed with stolen blood, she could venture out into the daylight, endure water and she did not have black lips or nails. She had done things similar to this in the past, she could even drink in the mortals ale houses, sleep in their beds playing a lost traveller and she had, in her younger years, entered a sarafan preists home and murdered him, after drinking from his silver goblets and resting on his bed. She loved to toy with her prey, to see their expression as they realised that she was a vampire, and they cursed themselves for letting down their guard. It helps being a beautiful woman too, it is so easy to seduce men of great power, and once they are ready to offer her the world, she kills them. She had also been sent to do this for the sake of her fathers empire, and in her eyes, it was like been told to go out and enjoy herself, but the only problem that she encountered was the aftermath. Escaping before the guards or servants knew what had happened, she did so hate to spill extra blood, it was just like a massacre, mindless killing, like the rest of her kind. She took pride in carefully planning her path of destruction, knowing who she would kill, how and why. Seeing the effect it had afterwards, when she was gone, and the guards couldn't explain how a vampire had managed to get past them and murder their master.

Yet surely this was too dangerous, guards have attacked her, and she has had to retreat or kill them, but if that happened inside the city, she would have no chance of escape.

She caught Raziels eye, and he too looked unsure of what Kain was sending her to do, but then their lord spoke.

"I know the extremity of this task that I am setting for her, but I believe she is capable of doing it. I have thought this over, and it is the only way that we can get inside the city. All I am asking of you Vana..." He turned in his seat and looked up to her "Is that you find the entrance for us."

She wet her dry lips with her tongue and glanced around the room to meet the eyes of her brethren, who looked on expectantly, and saw Raziel, lips parted, eyes pleading for her to say no, then she looked back to Kain. To his suprise, her frown turned into a smirk as she devised another plan of her own.

"Now that wouldn't be much fun now would it? Would it not save time, and men, if I went on to this meeting, posing as a hunter, I could then bring all their plans back to you, and we could be ready for whatever sort of rebellion they are planning."

Kain let out an amused laugh, which echoed in the grand hall, Raziel however, stepped up to the throne and faced Vana.

"Don't be foolish, you'll get yourself killed!" Both Vana and Kain looked towards Raziel, their eyes wide from shock and confusion, but Vana was touched by what he had said, he clearly opposed her decision, he didn't want her to risk her life just to have a little more 'fun'. Kain stood, placing his large hands on Raziels heavy shoulder plates reassuringly, and Raziel dragged his gaze from his love to his father and lord, Kain.

"Do you not think her capable my son?"

"Yes my lord, but..." stammered Raziel.

"Then why do you worry? She has done this many times before, and you have had no objection, so why now?" Said Kain smiling as he tried to assure his most trusted lieutenant that Vana would not be lost.

"The city will be full of vampire hunters, priests and men that equally hate vampires, if she is discovered..." Raziel was interrupted by Kain again.

"Then she will have to ensure that she is not discovered. I am not simply going to throw her into the snake pit without a plan of any sort Raziel, I will send her disguised as a serpent, they will not attack one of their own."

Vana watched bemused, as her father and lover discussed the situation that she would be going into, she was risking her life for the empire, and frankly she couldn't wait to get to it.

Raziel stepped down, returning to his place, his eyes fixated on the floor in thought, and Vana once again tried to gain his attention, but to no avail. Kain seated himself once more, then Turel, who had, until now like two of his younger brethren, hadn't breathed a word, spoke in his low, base like tone, which echoed through the hall and caught the attention of all present.

"What is our plan? How does Vana discover this 'other' entrance, if it exists?" He addressed Kain first, then looked to Vana who smiled back at him, another one of her brethren who wished to thouroughly think this through before sending her in. Before Kain had the chance to answer Melchiah made a good point, unfolding his arms and resting his head upon his right hand, in deep thought.

"What if there is no other entrance? All our plans after that would dissolve and we would be clueless as to what the mortals are planning." Kain nodded in understanding and leaned back once again on his throne, making himself more comfortable as he pondered over the answers to both questions.

"If there is no other way, then we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it, in the meantime, we focus all our thoughts on the present, and how to get Vana in safely. The vampire hunters must use another entrance, for they know that Dumah would place guards on the cliff where the river comes to the abyss, and they would be bombarded with a a shower of arrows before they even reached the shore. However, Dumahs men have rarely seen the hunters and mortals come this way, so they must use other means of going to and forth from the city to the rest of Nosgoth." Once again the others nodded, but Zephon looked doubtful.

"But how does she find a way into it?" He asked, and for a moment Kain himself looked unsure of what to say, so Vana spoke for him.

"Leave that to me." She said in her soft, low, seductive feminine voice, she could always gain her fathers trust through her innocent, truthful voice, the sort that a father could not say 'no' to.

"What do you intend to do?" Asked Raziel, and all other faces looked to her waiting to hear her plan.

"Some hunters visit the ale houses, I see some in the one near to Melchiahs fort, if I can get them to take me to the city it will be easier than drawing inside the lines..." She continued, leaning on her fathers throne, "then, all I need to do is take some hunters clothes, disguise myself as one of them, and go to the meeting. Once the meeting is over, I return via the other entrance at night, and return to you, with all their plans."

She could not help but feel proud, she was already devising a great plan, that couldn't go wrong in any way, unless...

"And what if you see blood, by some remote chance?" Asked Zephon, with his familiar know-it-all face. He had a point, her plans that had failed in the past were because of her vicious vampire tendencies. One prime example was when she decided to murder the daughter of a famous priest, for the sole reason that Vana simply didn't like her. Vana had been in the process of flirting with an especially handsome guard, (this was years before her relationship began with Raziel, who in her eyes was far better looking that any other creature in Nosgoth), when Dien, the preists daughter, came over and accused Vana of stealing from her bedroom. Vana was innocent, she would never degenerate herself by stealing, and she did of course, plead not guilty. After a small arguement broke out between them both, other guards began to watch as Dien called Vana a worthless thief, a common scrounging wretch and a filthy, robbing whore. For a preists daughter, she had quite a foul mouth.

Vana was blazing mad, infurated to the point where she could of tore the womans head off with her bare hands, but she couldn't, not with all the guards present, so she decided to leave, and dispose of the insolent little do-gooder another time. Turning her back seemed to anger Dien more, and she ordered the guards to bar her exit. Seemingly trapped, Vana faced Dien, this time with a calm expression upon her face.

"Why would I steal from _you_?" She asked sarcastically.

"Because you have nothing, you are nothing but a por, worthless commoner, less than that in fact, you are more pathetic than the old hags in the town stumbling about in the mud, lower than the slaves that clear up after me and my parents..." Vana covered Diens mouth with her right hand, and shook her head sadly.

"I grow bored of your childish ramblings and accusations. I have not stolen from you, though why you accuse me, I do not know. Now, be a good little girl and go to bed." Using her left hand, she turned Dien back in the direction of which she had came and gave her a gentle push. Now in a rage at been humiliated in front of the chuckling guards, Dien snatched a spear and turned to Vana, thrusting it towards her.

She dodged it with ease, turning to the left and taking a hold of the spear as it passed her, Vana then yanked it from Diens feeble grasp and snapped it over her knee. She was becomong impatient, when would she learn her lesson and admit that she had been wrong? Dien screamed with frustration and charged towards Vana, who stood bemused as the little girl had her tantrum.

Dien scratched, kicked and slapped but Vana merely blocked with the back of her right arm, until she finally decided that enough was enough. Seeing that the guards weren't going to interfere, Vana grabbed Diens left fist as it came towards her, and then her right wrist as she tried to counter her move. Slowly, Vana began to squeeze, feeling Diens fragile knuckles crushing and shifting under her hold, and the wrist gradually breaking. Dien let out a scream of pain as she fell to her knees, now at Vanas mercy, but in all her pain Dien managed to shout out to her 'loyal' guards.

"She is no mortal! Kill her!" The guards exchanged confused glances, a fight was a fight, and Dien was losing, that was no excuse to slay the winner.

"I said kill her you fools!" She shouted again, a loud crack coming from her wrist as Vana tightened her grip before finally letting her helpless rival go. A tear flowed down Diens soft cheek as she tried to hold her knuckles, but she was unable to move her right hand from the wrist down.

Satisfied, that Dien would now no longer be able to attack her Vana turned to leave, only to find her senses aroused by the bitter sweet scent of blood. Her head felt light, but her muscles tensed and the saliva glands inside her mouth began to pour that famliar liquid in her mouth. Cocking her head up and sniffing the air, her senses told her that the exposed blood was behind her, and as she turned swiftly she saw the dark liquid shining beautifully in the moonlight, and it was gently trickling from a wound on Diens right wrist. Where the bone had broken it had penetrated her thin skin and began to ooze out, and upon looking down at her left palm she noticed a small scarlet smudge.

All was now silent, Dien looked up to Vana with her eyes brimming with tears, not understanding why she was taking such interset on the wound she had inflicted on her wrist. The guards began to close in around her silently, both spears and swords drawn, now obeying the order set for them. Vana wet her lips and took a step towards the blood, unable to fight the thirst and temptaion of blood; for blood to a vampire is like water to a human that has not drank in forty days, it was the drink of the Gods, and to refuse it would be blasphemous and improper. Her father would never forgive her.

"Get away from me you..." But Dien went deadly silent as Vana bore her dagger like fangs and took to a crouched position ready to pounce.

"Vampire!!!"

Vana winced as she remembered that night, she even had to kill the handsome guard, along with all others there, for she could not allow her secret to get out, so all who had seen her died. She did regret it, but in the end, if it hadn't been for Dien accusing her falsely in the first place the situation could have been avoided. She understood Zephons point, if she were to see blood on the night, she would either have to take it and slaughter all present or refuse it...

Turning down fresh blood was the hardest thing for a vampire to do, in fact, vampire hunters would use it as a means of torture, for example, chaining a vampire down and spilling fresh blood before it. As she heard Turel once subtly put it, "It is like dying before reaching a sexual climax, over and over again." Yet she had never once heard of a vampre refusing it normally, or saying "Im not thirsty." It was simply impossible.

"I shall have to hope that I do not see any blood, but if i do, I will have to leave." There was no way she could decapitate an entire hall of experienced vampire hunters, priests, guards and soldiers.

Zephon sniggered at her remark, doubting that she would be able to do such a thing, and thinking her foolish for actually volunteering for this little extra task, and both Raziel and Turel shot him a warning glare to prevent him from making any remark on the matter.

"Well, it sounds like a plan then doesn't it?" Said kain, now rising from his throne, his figure looming over Vana and the rest of the court, who all in turn bowed their heads as he made for the massive double keyhole doors. He continued, "Vana, come back here tomorrow at dusk, we shall go over our plans in more detail, in the meantime, keep an ear out for hunters conversations, and if you should discover any vital information concerning these matters, return to me." With that, the mighty vampire lord left, leaving his children to discuss the situation.

Vana did not feel like answering any of their queries as to why she decided to make the decision of actually partaking in the vampire hunters meeting so she strode over to Raziel to make some quick arrangements, and to change the subject.

"I shall bring you a mortal from my dungeons tonight, along with a special apology." She smirked teasingly, but she knew from Raziels concerned expression that he would be telling her over and over again that she had made a bad decision. She placed a cool hand on his icy cheek, and stroked his skin softly with her thumb, "Don't worry." She said soothingly, Raziel tilted his head into her palm, loving feeling the slightest touch of her delicate skin, but he felt her gently take her hand away.

"I will see you later." she said as she turned in and began walking in the direction of the doors, she swirled round gracefully to bid her brethren farewell and made way for her mansion inside of the dark forest.


	3. The Offering

**The Offering**

Upon returning to her huge, elegant mansion in the dismal and gloomy Dark forest, Vana was greeted by her most trusted of servants, who also served as a sort of general when needed; her name was Arlene, and she was coming up to her 150th vampiric birthday. She waited for Vana on the steps leading up to the large weather worn doors, which had once been a rich brown.

Vana dismounted her mighty steed and marched towards her home with the sole intent of changing her dress once more and finding an attractive healthy youth for Raziel.

"Good evening my lady." Said Arlene holding open one of the heavy doors for Vana who walked swiftly past her into the entrance hall and straight up the stairs.

"Good morning." She called behind her, and it was true, she had killed the man in the village at about half past eleven, and if you add the time onto getting to the sanctuary of the clans, having the meeting and returning home it was already nearly two in the morning, and she had rode back at full speed.

"Arlene, go into the dungeons and find me a handsome, fit young man, I am leaving for Raziels fortress shortly, and I shall be taking him with me, and I will be returning tomorrow sometime." Called Vana as she dissappeared through a door.

"Yes my lady." With that, both women set out to do seperate things, only to meet back in the entrance hall only minutes later. Vana wore a large ebony coloured velvet cloak, with her hair tied tighty back in a high ponytail, wearing dark crimson lipstick and a little dark makeup.

"You look grand my lady." Said Arlene once again bowing her head in the presence of her mistress.

"Thank you Arlene." Said Vana observing the youth that Arlene had found in the dungeons. He was probably in his late teens, wore dull swamp green rags and had dirty blonde hair that hung about his face limply.

Vana stepped towards hm, and he flinched expecting to feel the back of her hand thrust into his face as punishment for been so pathetic, or for perhaps just breathing. But Vana merely used the tip of one of her delicate fingers to move a little hair that clung to his face. Using the same finger on her other hand she gently pushed the hair away from his face and wiped a dark smudge of dirt off his left brow

"Very good Arlene, he is a handsome young man isn't he? Now, when I return tomorrow I would like you to have prepared a suitable collection of female hunters garments, as I will be needing them for when I visit my father. Also, see if you can beat any information out of the hunters in the dungeons about another entrance to the city, or a large meeting that is to be held there." Arlene nodded, and with that, Vana left with the youth.

After they fetched a horse for the young man to ride on they set off at a fast canter down the narrow dirt road that served as the only road in the whole of the forest, anything else was merely a dirt track, of faint footpath, that was only good for getting you lost. Vana has often seen mortals stumble out of the forest onto the road that leads up to her mansion, overjoyed that they had found a sort of refuge, with a rich, kindhearted host...she made most of them wish that their mothers had never given birth to them

Vana thought it strange though, why, if she was half human, did she so like to torture them? In her mind, she was a vampire, she was a born killer, unlike the rest of her race that are no longer born, but 'changed' into what they are. She thought it was probably because of her fathers influence, she remembered that, as a child she watched him kill someone, a man in fact, she could still see it all clearly in her mind.

She was eight, her mother was ill, and had asked her father to take care of her for a little while, which he did to the best of his ability. She knew that he was a vampire, she had overheard her mother talking to Kain about it, but she had never seen him feed.

They had been travelling through the forset, at night, in order to reach a small house that he stayed in when he took care of her.

The moon was high in the sky, and she held onto his hand tighty, in fear of any monsters that would jump out, but she felt safe with him, father was strong, he wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt her. This theory was proved when two brigands blocked their way across an old stone bridge. One held a club of some sort, the other had his bloodstained sword drawn.

"You can pass, when you hand over all you money and valubles..." As he said this his eyes drifted down to Vana, and he eyed her pervertedly, the other now taking his baton from where it was resting on his shoulder and began letting it thud into the palm of his other hand threateningly. Vana looked up to her father who eyed their weapons calmly, pulling her behind him a little with his left hand and drawing his own sword. He said nothing, he just looked on, leaning forward on the hilt of his sword. The men looked to each other, confusion written all over their faces, when suddenly Vana felt two hands grab her shoulders and yank her away from her father. She let out a cry startling Kain, who in turn spun round when he realised that they had been surrounded, and his now calm face was contorted with anger.

"Release my daughter." He growled taking a step towards the man who now had Vana locked in front of him with one powerful arm. She struggled helplessly, her eyes beginning to fill up with tears now in the belief that she was going to die.

Suddenly Kain dissapeared, and she felt the mans arm losen from around her neck, she turned only to see a flash of her fathers silver sword and the bandit fall to the floor. The others stepped forward, then realised that they couldn't see their enemy, one by one two of the men fall, one to his knees, the other slumped forward, followed by his head which dropped to the ground beside him a second later and rolled a few feet in the dirt.

The last one standing, the one with the sword looked around him turning to try and find his allies killer, but Kain moved so fast that he was merely a blur, and that was only if your eyes were fast enough to follow. The mans eyes were wide from terror, and they darted about the area like the eyes of someone who is overly paranoid.

Kain appeared behind him, still with a composed expression, and after sheathing his sword silently he raised his upper lip bearing his murderous fangs and grabbed the man by his knotted, dark hair and yanked him back, biting into his neck viciously and draining him of his life blood. The man screamed, even clawed at Kains face, but it was too late, once Kain had you, he never let go until he was satisfied that he had swallowed every last drop of blood.

Vana stared at him in disbelief, and he looked back at her realisng what he had just done. He had shown his eight year old daughter the corrupt vampire that could kill wthout a flicker of remorse. What if he had scared her? What if she was too terrified to be with him?

"Vana..." He tried to explain but he couldn't find the words that were needed. Then, something odd happened, Vanas once confused and shocked expression changed to that of awe, her 'O' shaped mouth became a wide grin, and she pranced up to him and took his hand once more. Her daddy was a vampire, and he would always protect her, he had passed this marvelous dark gift onto her, and one day, she would be able to protect herself...

She thought of herself as unique, better than humans, but equal to the vampires, she looked down at humans, they were so weak, so pathetic and disgusting. Their short lives were meaningless, they had no goals in life, so why should their deaths even be acknolodged? That's just one less to worry about, one less to feed and one less to protect.

She was intrigued by their low pain tolerance, but she still loved to watch them bleed. She would toy with them the way a cat toys with a mouse, letting them think that they can escape, or that she couldn't be bothered torturing them today... Yet she could not hurt children, and she would never stand by and watch a fledge inflict pain on a helpless child, at least the adults could fight back.

But sometimes, she got that awful irritating feeling, the one that makes your stomach turn and your head light; guilt. Afterall, she was half human, how would she feel if a vampire had done that to her mother? Or her child? She had mentioned this to her father, and to Raziel, and their responses were similar. "If a mortal knew what you were, they would kill you on sight without a flicker of doubt. Don't ever show them mercy, you would recieve none in their place." So that was how she thought if ever she felt that feeling creeping back.

It was now coming back as she rode side by side with this young man, who sat upon his horse silently, knowing his apparent fate. She knotted her eyebrows at the thought, imagine knowing you were moments away from your death, and you knew how you would die, you would be bled dry, just so that your master could have a decent excuse to visit her lover.

"What is your name?" Asked Vana, slowing down to a trot as they came out of the dark forest and out into the pale moonlight. He looked down to the horses back, his lips dry, his hair hanging down hiding most of his face and his hands holding the reins limply.

"Dorian." he replied plainly.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen and a half."

Vana nodded and looked both ways as they came to a fork in the road. They turned right and rode over a wide stone bridge, she glanced down into the fast flowing ice cold river below, that led to the infamous abyss.

"You know where we are going?" She asked as they trotted on and the path faded. They came into a long wide gorge with little grass or vegetation, they were to travel down here now for quite a while.

"To Lord Raziels fortress." He said looking up down the gorge path.

"You know why we are going?" Asked Vana, feeling pity for the boy now.

"I am to be offered to him."

She nodded again, in awe that this boy had seemed to accept his fate, and was not even going to attempt to escape.

"Does that not scare you?" She said slowing down a little.

"No." Dorian straightened his back and Vana noticed that through his baggy shirt she could discern a rather well toned chest.

"Were you a hunter?" She asked randomly.

"In training. My father was a hunter, and my grandfather was a sarafan." He looked proud, then his face changed, knowing he would never carry on their legacy.

"I see. And yet you do not fight me, nor try to escape, why?" Vana looked at him, her head tilted to the right a little waiting for his reply.

"What's the point? Nosgoth is filled with vampires if I escaped you here, I would surely be killed by another before I reached the nearest town. Besides, only a coward would run from his fate."

Vana stopped her horse suddenly, and Dorian turned, his eyebrows knotted in confusion.

"Is something wrong my lady?" He asked, bringing his horse around in a half circle. Vanas head was bowed, her face was stern and as Dorian came closer she spoke.

"Go." She muttered.

"What?" He asked now in complete shock, and at first he believed he had heard her wrong.

"Go, I will let you escape."

"I said that I would not run from my fate..." Before he could finish Vana interupted him, she had come to her conclusion and her mind would not be changed.

"This is not a debate. Count yourself lucky, you only get this sort of chance once." Dorian attempted to speak again, but Vana continued. "It is an order, if you do not leave now, we will simply carry on. Do you not wish to become a hunter like your father before you? Or do you wish to be a light snack for a vampire? What would your father think?"

Dorian smiled, and nodded, and kicked his horse gently in the sides. As he trotted past her he stopped and looked her in the eyes.

"Thank you, if ever I do become a vampire hunter, I shall not harm you." With that he left Vana to think up an excuse for Raziel, as to why she hadn't brought him an offering for killing a mortal of his...She would have to apologise another way...


	4. Raziels Fortress

**Raziels Fortress**

The moment Vana passed through the gates of Raziels fortress she was greeted by two of his guards who had been sent to meet her. They helped her dismount from her horse and then one took the reins and guided it to the stables around a corner. While they were doing this she noticed them exchange odd glances as the offering she was set to bring was no-where in sight, but they decided it best not to ask.

As the other dissappeared behind the corner the taller, better built guard led Vana to Raziels chambers, deep within the fortress. They walked down many long dull corridors, with candles embedded in the walls giving off a flickering sombre glow. Here and there were large scarlet banners bearing Raziels clan insignia, and the guards wore a short red cloak over their right shoulder similar to Raziels which was significantly longer and it covered his left side. This guard looked a little like Turel, with his long dark hair and fierce features, but his cheek bones were lower than Turels and he was a little shorter.

After a short while they came to a pair of thick wooden doors, with Raziels clan symbol etched in each. This was the chamber in which he would hold meetings with his brethren or his soldiers, and Vana wondered why he had chosen to meet her here, and not in his private rooms.

The guard knocked on the door once, and from inside they heard Raziels low, authorative voice call "Enter." The guard nodded to Vana and gestured for her to enter, she smiled in return and opened one of the doors.

As she entered she could see Raziel sat at the head of the large rectangular table, looking over maps of some sort, and cradling a silver goblet with one of his large hands.

He looked up from under his brows, smirked and stood, Vana smiled back as he walked towards her, placing his drink upon the table and wrapping one of his masculine, cold arms around her slim waist. He gently pulled her closer to him and welcomed her with a passionate kiss.

"Good evening." He whispered as their lips parted momentarily, before they returned to lapping at each others lips with their tongues and holding eachother closely. Their tongues slid together rythmatically, and Raziel parted Vanas cloak to reveal a very pleasing sight. She had decided to wear the dress that Raziel himself had had made for her not long ago. It was similar to the dress that she had to wear when she was present at a meeting at the Sanctuary of the clans, the one that she had actually worn that night.

This dress, however, was suited far more to those evenings that were to be spent with a lover, or husband, this was used mostly to seduce, to attract, and it made Vana feel especially good about herself when she wore it.

It was blood red, sinking down in a V shape to reveal the most part of the centre of her smooth pale chest, revealing the insides of her breasts and ending just below her belly button, showing off her toned, smooth stomach. The dress was sleeveless, and a single split in the skirt glided down her right leg to her high heeled shoes.

After their long, intimate kiss, Raziel stood back from Vana, and glanced past her, then he looked back and spoke, "Did you bring my offering?"

Vana lowered her head, bringing her gaze down to meet the stone floor, and bit her lip gently, "He is not here." She said tossing her hair back over her shoulders and looking back to Raziel, who stood before her, his eyebrows were raised and his lips slightly parted.

"What do you mean?" He questioned as he shifted his weight onto his right leg. Vana wet her lips with her moist tongue and began to 'explain' to Raziel how the offering escaped her.

"He was very quick." She said finishing off her short tail. By now Raziel had seated himself on one of the scarlet cushioned wooden chairs, resting his chin on his right hand with his left hand laid upon the table.

"And you didn't chase him?" he asked with a bemused expression upon his handsome face. Vana strode towards him and placed a hand on his muscular shoulder as she slid behind him and gently massaged the top of his broad back.

"And be late for you? Besides, I can bring you another, or...I could apologise another way..." She whispered as she leaned in and began to pet his neck with soft butterfly kisses. He brought his left hand up and ran it through her silky smooth hair, closing his eyes and tilting his head so that more of his neck was laid bare for her touch.

Vanas hands glided over Raziels delicate skin, crossing over at his collar bone, her finger tips barely stroking his neck as she held him in a lovers embrace.

Raziels lips curled up in a blissful smile as he felt her skin on his own, her kiss upon his neck, her cool breath and her silky hair as it fell down over her shoulders and brushed against his own. Then he remembered what had been troubling him, and what he felt he must stop her from doing. He opened his eyes and removed his hand from her hair, causing her to pause her kisses and look over to his concerned face.

"What's wrong?" She asked, standing up and walking round to meet his gaze. Vana crouched before him and held his hand waitng for his response, but his eyes were firmly planted on the floor, preventing her from looking into them.

"I don't want you to go into the human city." He said plainly, giving her hand a slight squeeze. Vana remained silent, in the back of her mind she had known that he would ask this of her, but her mind was made up, and she couldn't say to her father that she had changed her mind all of a sudden. He certainly wouldn't be pleased.

"You'll have more chance of survival if you jumped straight into the Abyss." He said bringing his gaze up to meet hers.

"That's a bit extreme Raziel, you forget, I've done this sort of thing before, you just need to trust me." She placed both her hands on his and came in closer for a small kiss, but he turned his head and continued to speak.

"I do trust you, but I do not trust the hundreds of Vampire hunters that will also be gathered there. Please, just find the entrance and return to us."

Vana shook her head sadly, she hated to upset Raziel, but he wasn't going to alter her resolve.

"It's saving us so much trouble Raziel, if I do go in, we can be prepared for whatever the mortals intend to throw at us."

"Have you thought about what will happen if you do get caught? Not only will you die, but we will have no-one else to send in you place, the mortals will have the upper hand if they do intend to start another war, Kain will have lost his only true child and I..."

Before he could finish Vana interupted by placing a finger before his lips to quieten him, and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I will be fine, if it looks like there are too many then I will return, I know what I'm doing." She said with a smile on her face, "Besides, I will be coming back as soon as my work is done, afterall I now have to prove you wrong, so it's more of a challenge to me."

Finally Raziel smiled in return and he leaned forward to kiss her lovingly.

"Come..." He said as he stood up, "It's late, and we don't have much time till day break. Plus I'm intrigued as to how you now plan on apologizing to me..." Vana followed Raziel to his bedroom, holding his hand, with an excited smirk stretching its way across her scarlet lips.


	5. The Plan

**The plan**

After her 'eventful' night at Raziels fortress Vana travelled back to her mansion, where Arlene was waiting patiently with two cases readily prepared for her mistress.

"What have you packed then?" Asked Vana returning from her bed chambers where she had changed once more, out of the dress given to her by Raziel and into her formal clothes, used mostly for travelling in.

She wore a pair of old tight ebony coloured leather pants, a thick longsleeved faded scarlet jumper on top of a flimsy tight fitting new scarlet top, given to her by Kain, bearing his own insignia in the centre of it.

Vana didn't mind, even though she thought it was showing that she somehow belonged to him, and that if she were marked with his sign anyone thinking of taking her would surely think twice.

Another thing that she would sometimes think about was the fact that she herself did not have an actual clan like her brethren, she thought that the daughter of Lord Kain, the ruler of the Vampires would at least have her own clan, of course she had created vampires, and they obeyed and respected her greatly, but there was nothing on them that they wore that indicated that they had been made by her. Nevertheless though, she could command almost any vampire in Nosgoth, and sometimes even her brethren.

Although she could not create as many vampires as her father or her brethren as she became weak if she lost too much blood, which was one of the downsides to been half human, but she also preferred to be different, she was one of a kind and suprisingly respected by vampres of other clans, possibly because of her triumphs over troublesome mortals such as the Sarafan.

Vana knew though, that if any vampire were to show her any disrespect her father would surely have their head, that is if her brethren didn't first. She was thankful that she had such a caring group of allies, and they would sometimes joke about the fact that even though she was the oldest, they guarded and protected her like older brothers do with their little sister; although she was often called upon when one was in trouble or when they felt they needed to talk with someone who had a little more compassion and understanding. She would organise small parties inside her mansion for she knew how they all grew tired of the tedious meetings that had to be held, so it made a nice change to be able to sit and talk, forgetting their obligations and chatting normally, Kain would even make rare appearances.

Vana looked at the cases that Arlene held, one in each hand, the case she held in her right was considerably larger than the other.

"In this one my lady, you will find the bare essentials like your dining dress for when you meet your father later, there are two pairs of trousers one pair black the other red, your evening footwear, your fighting boots, a few pairs of underwear, your daggers, brush, the box with you favorite makeup,..." Vana nodded ticking things off the list in her mind, " three ribbons for your hair, perfume, two none sleeved tops, one longsleeved top, and just little things I thought you would need." Said Arlene taking a deep breath and carefully dropping the larger case.

"Thankyou Arlene, and may I inquire as to what is inside that other case?" Said Vana eying the smaller case.

"Ah..." Said Arlene with a slight grin, "These are the hunters clothes you asked for."

Vana smiled at Arlene, then looked towards the case as it was passed over. Holding the base of it with her left hand Vana lifted the cases lid with her right to reveal another set of clothes. She placed the case on the floor and lifted a pair of dull grey pants, followed by a long sleeved top of the same colour, then a long sleeved chainmail vest that was a little long for a shirt, then a black leather belt, matching leather gloves and boots and finally a knee length faded mahogany waistcoat. It was a hunters attire.

"Where did you get these?" Asked Vana as she gazed at the clothes in awe, holding the waistcoat in front of her to check the size; perfect. Arlene grinned cunningly.

"After you left this morning a servant of your fathers arrived, with a message from your father, and he has asked you to meet him at the exit of Melchiahs fortress instead of the Sanctuary of the clans. He didn't say why though, but he did say that it was very brave of you to sneak into the city, and it sounded like he greatly admired you..." Vana nodded smiling, and placed the chainmail vest back inside the case.

"I asked what he meant and he told me of the plan you and your father had devised. How you were going to disguise yourself as a vampire assasin. I must say, I was a little confused as to why you needed hunters clothes." Said Arlene.

"I remembered that one of the older vampires here had caught a hunter and that you asked that she was kept alive...So I went into the dungeons to find her so that I could take her clothes for you. I have seen to it that they have been cleaned." She added, knowing how her mistress hated dirty clothes. "But the woman put up a bit of a fight, and in order to take the clothes from her without as much hassle I had to break her neck, it was that or they were drenched in blood..."

Vana laughed imagining as best she could as to how a near dead mortal could put up any sort of fight. The hunter must have wanted to cling to whatever honour she had when she lived among her kind, and the thought of giving up her clothes to a vampire, the daughter of Nosgoths ruling vampire, must of been an awful thing for her to do...willingly.

"Well thank you Arlene, you are too considerate, but I must be leaving, my father hates it when I arrive late."

With that Vana mounted her mighty horse, with the bags slung over its massive shoulders, Arlene had also brought out Vanas large black cloak, to camouflage her in dark places from cruel eyes, and to keep her warm on her travels.

With one final bow to her ever trusty general, Vana mounted her horse, checked that all the bags were safely strapped on, turned and gave the beast two kicks to each side to start it off at a rather ferverous canter.

Once Vana arrived at Melchiahs fortress, she realised that her father was no-where in sight. Confused she turned her horse and circled the large clearing looking through the forest that bordered on the youngest lieutenants fortress in hope of finding some sign of Kain. No matter, the Sun was only just beginning to set and she was a little early anyway. Half an hour passed and the sun was gone behind the hills, and to the east the sky was already dark. Vanas horse shifted restlessly, and she allowed it to stroll about the clearing and eat the grass while they waited.

Once the sun had finally set and Vana found herself shrouded in darkness, she heard something approaching the clearing, like a flock of birds...or bats. The bats circled the clearing then descended and met in the centre, forming the shape of a human, and once they were all a part of this figure, they formed the Vampire lord Kain.

"Am I late?" He questioned, upon seeing his daughters aggitated expression.

Getting off her horse she replied, "Yes father, you are. I was under the impression that we were to meet at dusk, but apparently not." She pulled the reins over the horses head and lead it towards Kain, who she could see was smiling. "Yes, we were going to meet at dusk, but I didn't want to risk anyone seeing where we were going."

Vana looked confused. "And where are we going?" Kains smile broadened, then he turned his back and approached the forest. "Follow me."

After an hour of walking, and occasionally stumbling, they came to a small hut by a stream. "And what's this?" Asked Vana, as she tied her horse to a nearby tree. Saying nothing, Kain opened the door and lit a small fire at the back of the hut. Smoke rose lazily from the chimney, yet they were miles from anywhere that Vana knew of, so it was unlikely that their location would be seen. Vana closed the door behind her and seated herself on the suprisingly comfortable bed. The hut was small, yet cosy, with a table, drawers, a fire place, kettle, a single wooden desk, shelves and a wooden basin for washing. "Why are we here father?"

Kain stood by the small window opposite from the bed and gazed outside, before looking over to Vana, with a look in his eyes that she knew meant that he was planning something. "You obviously won't be able to get into the city straight away, and you're going to need to spend time with the humans before they take you. You'll have to tell them that you were born in one of the villages and have never been to the city." Vana nodded in accordance. "You'll have to stay here. I've informed Melchiah of this and you will be undisturbed. I also brought you these." Kain threw a small brown leather pouch at Vana. She opened it and to her suprise, found it to be full of vampires teeth. There top jaws with the long vampire incisors, and there were plenty of them. She looked up to her father, confused. "They're souvenirs." Vana nodded. She would show these to other hunters to prove that she had killed vampires before in order to gain their interest and respect.

"But what happens if I am with hunters and we find some vampires? Do I kill them?" She asked, closing the pouch and putting it on the bed.

Kain nodded solemly, "You will have to. If you are to be a hunter, then you must kill. At least then they will know that you are true." Vana looked to the floor, suddenly not liking the thought of being a vampire hunter. She had killed her own kind before, so had all her brethren, but the ones she had killed had been traitors, weaklings and fools. How could she just kill an innocent one of her kind? Kain interrupted her thoughts, "That will be hard for you, I know, but we are doing this for our kind. We cannot afford to have another human rebellion, we need to know where this entrance is. You must do what you have to do for the sake of our race." She nodded, he was right. Whatever she did would be worth it in the end if they could get into the human city and be ready for an attack.

"You will also need to start sleeping when they do. Going out in the day and such."

"Very well. That shouldn't be too hard." Kain walked towards the fire and sat before it on the wooden chair. "If you follow the stream north for about half a mile, you'll come across a dirt road. Follow that east and you'll find a small village. It isn't within any of your brethrens borders, and doesn't suffer from vampiric activity. They go there to recover, it's a safe haven for them. There's an ale house called 'The Stags Head'. I have seen many hunters go into that place, so I suggest you start there." Vana nodded again, and watched as her father stood and walked towards the door and out into the night. She followed and took the bags from her horses back. Kain stood by the stream and looked at her proudly. "You're on your own now Vana. If you need any help, use the whisper and I will come. I will send someone to bring you supplies, and you may use them as a messenger if you please." Then he placed a powerful hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "I have every bit of faith in you Vana. I know you will do me proud. Be careful." With that he stepped back and turned back into a mass of bats that flew away into the night sky.


	6. The Stags Head

**The Stags Head**

After getting settled into her new temporary home, Vana put out the fire and slid into the small single bed. Pulling the covers up to her cheeks, she remembered what it was like when she used to live with her mother, many centuries ago. They had lived in a similar hut, yet it was more of a small cottage, even though Kain had offered to house her mother in a more luxurious home. Her mother had never wanted to leave her home, where she had grown up with her parents and lived her whole life. It was larger than the one Vana found herself in now, and was separated into three rooms; her mothers room, the main room with the kitchen and fireplace, and a small room for Vana. She had had a single bed just like this as a child, and it humbled her to think how simple her life had been back then. Thoughts of her childhood filled her head, and she slowly sank into a deep sleep.

The next day, the sun shone brightly through the thin curtains and onto Vanas bed. Sitting up in bed, she yawned and stretched before swinging her legs over the egde and standing up. She ran her fingers through her ever soft hair and opened the case containing the hunters garments. Then a thought occured to her. She had no weapon. No cross bow, no sword. Just her daggers, and she couldn't carry them with her as they were covered in archaic vampire symbols. She sighed. This problem would have to wait.

Vana then proceeded to get into her new clothes, which fit almost perfectly, save for the chain mail vest which was a little too long, but over all, she looked very convincing. After that she stepped outside, and allowed her horse to wander about and drink from the stream as she got used to the bright sunlight. Looking at the saddle that she had removed whilst with her father, she realised that it looked far too costly to belong to a vampire hunter. So she took it inside and decided that she would have to ride without it. She attached the pouch containing the vampire teeth, and a purse with money to buy drinks and food to her belt, and strolled outside to get her horse. She was thankful now for her ability to jump quite high, as she would have otherwise been unable to get onto the creatures back. Checking that she had everything, Vana sqeezed the horses sides gently to get it off to a steady walk.

As Kain had said, she found the dirt path half a mile upstream, then turned east and followed it over a bridge and towards the village. She was suprised when after half an hour of travelling down the road, the sun began to set behind her. She realised that she had not properly adjusted to her new time regime, and that tonight, she would have to go to bed earlier.

Lights in the distance indicated that she was nearing the village, so she sqeezed the horses sides harder now to get it to trot down the road. The first thing that struck her as odd about the village was that there were people outside. Even though it was night time. Usually everyone was inside at dusk, kids in bed and men in the ale house. Doors locked, window shutters on and guards patrolling the outskirts. But this was the exact opposite. Groups of people were gathered in the streets talking and laughing loudly, there were even children there!

Barely anyone noticed as Vana entered the village, which was larger than she had imagined it to be. Many of the houses looked the same, and she couldn't see the ale house anywhere. As she passed a group of people she leaned down on her horse as asked, "Excuse me, I'm new to this place, can you direct me to the Stags Head please?" A rotund woman with a mass of curly brown hair and rosy cheeks stepped forward smiling. "You see that large house at the bottom of the street?" Vana looked up and nodded. "That's the Stags Head." Vana looked confused, as it looked nothing like an ale house, and had no sign to show it. It just looked like a house. "Thank you very much." Said Vana smiling, but before she could move on, a group of children surrounded her horse.

"Are you a vampire hunter?" One asked hopefully. She smiled, knowing they meant no harm. "I am indeed." Another one ran round to her side, "Really!" Vana laughed. "Really." She took a set of teeth from the pouch and presented it to the children. "Vampire teeth!" They exclaimed. She handed it to one of the children, and grinned "Keep it, I've got plenty." Knowing that she had proved herself enough to the children, Vana waved goodbye and rode towards the ale house.

Once there, she dismounted her horse, tied it to a closeby fence, and walked confidently into the house. Inside there was a healthy mixture of both men and women, all laughing and shouting to one another, the sounds of clinking cups and creaking chairs rang in her ears. It was wonderful. Looking round, it was easy to tell who the vampire hunters were, yet suprisingly, each was only armed with a sword, which was unusual, and most vampire hunters were heavily armed with daggers, cross-bows and whatever else they could use as a weapon. She no longer felt uncomfortable about having no weapon. She walked towards the bar and waited patiently to be served. A burly man with a plush beard worked behind the bar, along with what Vana presumed was his wife. The woman came to her first. "What would you like my love?"

"Just a pint of ale please." The woman nodded and scurried to the other end of the bar and began to pour the ale into a pint sized dinted tin. After she handed it over and Vana had paid, the woman came back. "So what's your name love? I haven't seen you in here before, and we don't usually see many new people."

Vana took a sip of her mug and looked up to the woman, who was probably in her late forties, yet still had healthy long, curly blonde hair, and unlike a lot of women her age, she had maintained a good figure. She stood opposite Vana with one hand on her hip and a pleasant smile on her face. "Oh, well, yes I am new, I've just moved into a little hut in the forest, not far from here. My name is..." Then she remembered. She couldn't use the name Vana as too many people knew that she was the daughter of Kain, and although this isolated village may be oblivious to her existence, she didn't want to risk being caught out. "My name is Sephina." Her mothers name.

The woman bowed slightly, "And I'm Christine. Pleased to meet you Sephina, welcome to Coorhagen."

Vana nearly dropped her drink as the woman said that name. "Coorhagen?" Christine looked puzzled, "Yes, Coorhagen." Vana put down her drink and tried to speak calmly, "But, I thought that Coorhagens people all died years ago from the plague? I didn't know that it still existed." Christine looked even more puzzled, but she smiled kindly again and explained, "It is true that a plague killed many of our villages people, but that was over 900 years ago." Vana tried not to show her suprise, so she just nodded and smiled back at Christine. Thankfully, someone else needed to be served and the bartenders wife left.

900 years ago. Her father had grown up in Coorhagen, and she was born just months after the plague had apparently killed all who lived there. She had lost track of her age centuries ago, yet now that she knew that she was 900 years old, she suddenly felt very old. Kain had met Vanas mother on his travels across Nosgoth, as she lived to the north west of Steinchenchroe, in a forest near to the lake of tears. Kain had stayed with her a while there, and it wasn't until he left that his lover discovered she was pregnant. When he returned as a vampire, she barely recognised him. It was during a night of passion that he bit her, thus somehow afflicting only his unborn child with the vampiric curse. He left once more, desperate to finish his quest for revenge, and when he finally returned as the damned guardian of balance, his daughter had been born.

"Good evening." Said a smooth voice that interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see a hooded man smiling down at her. He was handsome with slightly tanned skin and flawless brown eyes. He removed his hood and at once Christine ran over. "Where have you been!" She snapped, folding her arms crossly. He raised a hand to calm her and replied, "Please mother, I have only just returned, won't you give me a drink before scolding me?" Vana couldn't take her eyes off this enchantingly handsome man, who with his messy dark hair and rough stubble appealed to her in some way. As Christine slammed his drink down, he sighed, "Forgive me mother, but I was held up--"

He was interrupted by the large man behind the bar, who stomped over and exclaimed, "Lucien! Good to see you back my lad, how was the city?" So that was his name.

Lucien seemed pleased to see his father and replied proudly, "It was wonderful dad. I had a truly magnificent time." Christine seemed more aggitated now. "Oh well I'm so glad you were having a good time while we were here worrying about you! You told us you would be back last week!" The large man patted her on the back, "Oh Christine leave him be. He's only just walked through the door. You can see he's unharmed, and he's had a good time, so be thankful for that. Go on Lucien, go sit yourself down."

Lucien nodded then turned to Vana, "Would you like to join me?" he asked. Smiling, she replied, "I'd love to."

Lucien strolled to a table situated in a dark corner, away from anyone else. "Ah, it's good to be back." He said, sounding relieved. "You said you've been to the city?" Said Vana as she sat down opposite him. "Yes, I have. But it was the journey home that tired me out." He took a long swig of the beer, undid the clasp on his cloak and threw it aside on the chair. He was a hunter. He took off his gloves, scarf and coat, which was similar to Vanas old waistcoat, except his had long sleeves, and looked even older. Instead of a chainmail shirt like Vanas, Lucien wore silver plated armour that covered the most part of his chest, but he removed that also, "I've been waiting to get that heap of scrap metal off my chest all day. That's much better." He said, taking in a deep breath, allowing his toned chest to rise without the extra weight. He now wore a plain black jumper, yet the collar of a thinner white shirt stuck out at his neck.

"Is the city far away?" Asked Vana curiously. Lucien looked up, first looking supirsed, but then excited. "You've never been to the city? Well, you're missing out, but I suppose you'll be going for the hunters gathering there next week."

It was next week? This caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but look a little shocked. But she had to stay calm and composed, this could be the man to take her there.

"Well I want to go, but as I've never been, I have no idea where it is." She shrugged, then took another drink of her ale. Lucien laughed and sat back. "I'll be going, you can come with me if you like, um, miss...?" Vana looked up, confused for a moment, then realised that he did not have her name. "Oh forgive me," she laughed, "My name is Sephina." Luciens expression changed, and he suddenly looked serious. "Sephina?" He asked, lowering his voice and leaning forward. She nodded. "After Sephina, the mortal who gave birth to the bastard child of the vampire...Kain?"

How did he know of this? How was her mothers name passed on down through the centuries to hunters? She was stuck now. "Um, no I don't believe that's who I was named after. How do you know her name?"

Lucien smiled proudly, and folded his arms. "I am a descendant of the hunter Claudius, the one who led the hunters that killed her."

Vana looked at him blankly. For a split second, she felt as though she wanted to tear him apart. The next moment, her head was filled was questions. "I had no idea that she was murdered." And this was true. She was taken away from her mother because she had become ill. She still remembered the day that her father came into her room, sat beside her and told her that her mother had died. She had caught a disease and had died peacefully in her sleep. Kain must have known what had happened. They both must have known that Sephina was in danger. "How was she killed?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Lucien bit his lip, trying to remember the tale. "They found her hiding away in a hut in some god forsaken forest. She was taken, beaten and burnt alive. Not all hunters remember this, but it has stayed in our family since that day. It's just a pity they didn't find the child and kill that too."

It took a few moments for Vana to suppress the anger that she found herself suddenly overwhelmed with, and when it passed, she simply smiled and nodded, before finishing her drink. "Well, I'm not named after that Sephina." And with that, she stood, ready to leave. She had heard enough for one night. Lucien stood too. "You're not leaving are you? I'll have no-one else to talk to, at least no-one as sober and as beautiful as you." She looked back at him, with an expression on her face telling him that she was not impressed. "I have to get back, and flattery won't make me stay." She turned towards the door, yet he shot round and stood before her smiling. She glared up at him, not liking his cocky attitude. "Move." She ordered. He laughed, but it sounded cheerful, not mocking.

"At least let me get you another drink, perhaps then we can discuss more pleasant things, rather than executions and poor name sakes." Vana almost laughed, yet she was feeling too ill tempered to get any jokes now. She had to push that fury down and focus on the task at hand. "Fine." She sighed, then she turned to sit down again. Lucien smiled, and took the pint tins to be refilled. When he returned, Vana felt a lot calmer. "So, Sephina, where were you born?" She thought quick, then came up with an idea, "To be honest, I'm not sure. Vampires killed my parents when I was a child. I was found by a family of hunters, who travelled the land, so I've never really had a home. Since they've died, I just tracked down and killed vampires." Lucien looked sympathetic. "Such is the tale of many hunters. Families been torn apart by death, inflicted by those undead parasites. I've lost two brothers to them." Vana didn't know what to say. She had never spoke to a human in such a way, about such things, and she was not used to giving sympathy. For all she knew, she could have been the one to kill his brothers. "I'm sorry." Was all she could think of. Lucien smiled back at her, and swiftly changed the subject. "How many have you killed?" Vana smirked, and slid the pouch across the table to him. He opened it and gasped. "Father!" He called. Vana was startled, and worried that something was amiss. The man behind the bar hurriedly came over, and Lucien emptied the contents of the bag onto the table. "By the Gods!" exclaimed his father. By now, other people in the bar were looking over, and a few of the hunters approached. Each looked more shocked than the last.

"There must be at least thirty sets of vampire teeth here!" Said Lucien, looking up at Vana with awe in his eyes. She shrugged. "So?"

One of the old hunters sat beside her and patted her shoulder, "So my dear girl? So why aren't you at the city gathering your own squad? Like all the other elite hunters?"

"I am no elite..."

"Well, that's not what I think!" Said Luciens father. Lucien was busy examining all the different sets of teeth, when Vana decided to scoop them all up and put them back into the pouch. "Well, I didn't think I had killed that many..." She stood, tired of all the loud men surrounding her and simply wanting to go back to her hut and think about all that she had discovered. "I'm sorry, I really must be going. My travels have made me weary and I would like to get some sleep. I will come back tomorrow."

After having to explain why she was leaving to several other hunters, Vana finally left the Stags head, and felt relieved when she felt the cool night air, and the door closed shutting out all those irritating sounds. Right now, she just wanted to go home.


	7. Hunting

**The Hunt**

Vana hardly slept that night. She had tried to reach her father via the whisper, yet she she found it difficult to contact him, it felt as though he was on the other side of Nosgoth. It didn't help that because she was only half vampire, she was unable to use the whisper as well as other vampires. After a while, she just gave up. She also gave up trying to sleep, and instead she curled up by the fire and thought about her night. She had discovered so much at once, yet it was nothing relevant to her goal. It was relevant to her life. Her mother. Her father. Everything. She had thought that her mother had died peacefully in her sleep, now visions of her mother screaming as she was burnt alive in front of a jeering mob filled her head. Why had her father never told her the truth? She could understand why he didn't tell her as a child, but why not when she was older? And why did he send her to Coorhagen? Why did no-one else in Nosgoth know about it? She couldn't think straight. Did he keep it a secret on purpose? Did he even know that it was Coorhagen? Were the descendants of his family still living there? It seemed that she would not know until she met with him again.

Vana awoke to the sound of rustling outside her hut. She had fallen asleep on the floor, and the fire had died down and was now just a smouldering pile of ash and coal. She sat up. Her neck hurt because of the awquard angle that she had slept in, but now, that wasn't her concern. Something was outside. It was day time. She had no idea how long she had slept, but she hoped that it wasn't for most of the day again. A knock at the door startled her, and she jumped to her feet. She was still in her clothes from the night before, and just as a precaution, she grabbed one of her daggers. Slowly, she unlocked the door and peered outside. Gathered outside her hut was a small group of hunters, and standing before her was Lucien.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, sounding irritable. Lucien was in his full hunters attire, armed with a cross bow and sword. "Were you still sleeping?" he quizzed.

She nodded. "I told you I was tired." She looked at the faces of the hunters that Lucien had brought, there were only five, and couldn't be any older than twenty. There were three boys and two girls, all looking well prepared for a hunt.

"What's that?" asked one of the girls, who was tall and slim with long smooth brunette hair. She pointed to the dagger. "It looks like a vampires weapon." She said with disgust. Vana held it up and appeared to examine it. "Hmm, that would be because it is a vampires weapon. Or at least it was." Again, awe crossed their faces. Vana turned and threw it onto the bed. "So, what are you doing here? And how did you find me?" She asked, crossing her arms and leaning on the door frame.

"We just followed your tracks. And these are our hunters in training. I was impressed with your collection of vampires teeth last night, so I wanted them to meet you. I'm taking them on a practice hunt tonight. Will you come?" The group looked at her in anticipation, but she just shrugged and said "If you wish." Lucien smiled. "That's wonderful." One by one the members of the group introduced themselves, she didn't care for their names, nor what they thought about vampires, but the tall brunette made it apparent that she was not impressed, and that she clearly didn't think highly of Vana.

"We might as well wait here till dusk then." Said Lucien. Vana looked at him, obviously not knowing the time of day. "It's late in the day Sephina, it will be dusk in an hour or so." She sighed, and returned into her hut to sort out her hair. Behind her the door closed and Lucien stood there, looking at her with a strange expression. She had seen it before, on other mens faces. On Raziels face. But she could not remember why. "I'm sorry if this is inconvenient for you." He said. Vana shook her head. "No, it's fine, I just would have liked some warning." She said, as she picked up her brush and began to comb her hair. Lucien stepped closer.

"If I am irritating you, please tell me Sephina..." Vana turned to face him. "You're not bothering me Lucien, I can just get a little cranky when I don't sleep well. I haven't settled in properly and I'm just getting used to the bed. I appreciate your company." She took a ribbon and tightly tied her hair back into a low pony tail. So far, everything was going well, Lucien was practically eating right out of her hand, and it was easier than she thought. As he was observing her dagger on the bed, she watched him, noting his features. He had beautifully high cheek bones, almost like a vampires, and a perfect smile which strangely made her warm and tingly inside. She sat on the chair and slid her boots on, then stood up and looked to Lucien, signalling that she was ready. He looked up at her with a slight frown. "You haven't eaten yet." She shrugged.

Lucien reached inside a small pouch at his side and pulled out a fresh green apple. "Here, have this." Vana smiled and took the apple from his hand. She hadn't eaten an apple in ages it seemed, and she excitedly took a large bite out of it. "Mmm, it's delicious." She said, before quickly devouring it.

Dusk came, and the sky grew dark once more. The group checked that they had all the appropriate equipment, and not long after, they left for the 'hunt'. Lucien had told Vana that this wasn't a real hunt, but if they found a deer of sorts, they would kill that as a form of practice. This was just to get them used to hunting in the dark, being aware of their surroundings and trying to move as silently as possible. Vana followed behind the group for a time, letting Lucien give the instructions and lead the way. After a while, Lucien whispered for her to go to him, and when she went to crouch by him, he looked up at her worriedly. "I just saw someone ahead in the shadows." Vana looked ahead of them, but could see nothing. "Are you sure it's not your mind playing tricks on you?" She asked, standing up. Lucien frowned at her. "I'm sure."

The tall brunette, who's name was Frena, came forward. "Why don't you go to investigate Sephina?" Vana turned, already incredibly aggitated by this girls attitude. "Why don't you go look Frena, you're the one that needs the practice after all." She turned and sat on a log, then gestured for Frena to go ahead. Lucien looked at Vana, obviously concerned over her actions. Frankly, Vana didn't care. Frena looked at Lucien for approval, and reluctantly, he nodded.

The minutes passed slowly as Frena vanished into the darkness in search of the mystery person.

"_Vana_?" Said a voice. She sat up attentively. Lucien looked at her, puzzled. "_Vana_?" Someone was using the whisper to contact her.

"_Melchiah_?" She guessed. "_Yes, it's Melchiah. Are you well_?"

Vana swallowed and sat back, trying not to look like anything was wrong. "_I'm fine Melchiah. Is something wrong_?"

"_No, I was just checking to see if my messenger had found you yet_."

"_Messenger? Have you sent him tonight_?" She asked.

"_Yes, some time ago now_."

Then it struck her. The person in the shadows was the Melchiahim messenger!

"_Melchiah! You need to contact your messenger and tell him to return to you now_!"

"_What_?" Melchiah immediately sounded concerned. "_Is something wrong_?"

"_No, but I am in the forest with vampire hunters, and if he is discovered, I will have to attack him too_."

But it was too late; Frena screamed and almost instantly Lucien shot up and ran to where the sound came from. Vana and the rest of the hunters followed. When they found her, Frena was stumbling about holding her neck and crying. She had been bitten.

"He ran...when he heard you coming..." She said, before collapsing. The other hunters ran to her aid, while Lucien drew his sword defensively. "Vampires." He hissed.

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared from the shadows and attacked Lucien. Using his strength, Lucien was able to push the vampire off briefly, yet it was upon him again seconds later. Vana caught the other hunters look up to her, eyes wide with terror. She had to help him. She leaned down and yanked a sword from one the the hunters sheathes and ran towards the vampire. Grabbing its shoulder she dragged it back and got its attention by smashing it over the skull with the handle of her sword.

The vampire howled in pain, and glared back up at her with its golden eyes. Then its expression changed, and it half smiled at her. Using the whisper, she spoke to him, "_Run, get out of here_." But before it could do anything Lucien jabbed it in the back with his sword. Again the vampire howled in pain, and it looked up to Vana pleadingly.

"Finish him Sephina!" shouted Lucien. She looked straight into the face of the Melchiahim before her. "_I'm sorry_." Then she raised her sword and forced it into the vampires chest. It screamed in agony before falling to the ground.

"Now we take our trophy." Said Lucien, kneeling by the corpse and taking out his dagger to remove the teeth.

Vana couldn't bare to watch something like that. "No. We need to get Frena back to the village, she has been drained of a lot of blood."

Lucien looked up to Vana, then to Frena, who was being held up by her companions. He sighed. "I agree." He stood again and sheathed his sword. "May we borrow your horse once back at your cabin?" She nodded, and watched as the group left one by one. When they were out of sight she knelt by the vampire.

_"When your strength returns, go back to your master. I will not be able to spare your life again." _The vampire made a faint gurgling sound, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "_If I need a messenger, I will contact Melchiah. Tell him that."_ With that, she left, feeling both guilt and anger. It was morally wrong for her to attack a vampire, regardless of the situation. She needed to this time, but that did not expel the fact that she felt great pain within herself.

When they got back to her cabin, Vana saddled up the horse and helped Lucien get Frena sitting on top of it. She was very weak, and incredibly pale. Lucien looked worried.

"What's wrong?" Asked Vana as he took the reins, ready to lead the horse.

"I fear that she...she may be..._infected_." Vana almost laughed. She knew that she was some sort of freak exception, but surely the humans knew that it was not the blood that created vampires? It was their souls. "No, she will be fine. You have no need to worry about her 'transforming'." He half nodded.

"Go, she needs plenty of rest." Again he nodded, then he left. He was followed by the other hunters, who were also pale, most likely from shock. She watched them fade off into the distance, before she returned to the forest in search of fresh blood.


	8. The next day

It was the first night that Vana had managed to have a decent nights sleep, and she was thankful for it when she awoke the next day. The sun was surfacing over the tips of the trees when she left the cabin to splash her face with the cool stream water. Looking up the faded trail towards the village, she would walk there today, in order to obtain more information regarding the human city. Yet this would take time, now that she was without her horse.

Vana returned to her cabin, put on her hunters garb and neatened her hair. She picked up her purse and set off towards Coorhagen.

After a tedious two hours of hiking along dirt tracks and muddy roads, Vana finally reached the village. The streets were full of people of all ages, and there were even some market stalls out; some selling fruit and vegetables and others selling bread. The rich smell of freshly baked bread caught Vanas senses, and she soon found herself eyeing up the various bakery products at the small stall. A short obese woman with rosy cheeks waddled back and forth behind the stall, and every now and then, a short man would scurry out of the house behind, bearing a new tray of goods. The woman caught Vana looking, and held up a warm golden piece of bread.

"You won't find better bread in all Nosgoth." She grinned. _That's true._ Thought Vana. Other mortals in Nosgoth didn't have the pleasure of not being attacked by vampires on a regular basis, and so setting up a bread stall was out of the question. "I'll take it." Said Vana as she handed the woman the correct money.

While eating the deliciously warm bread, Vana continued to extend her knowledge of the village. The ale house was at the end of the road, that much she knew. In the centre of houses to the right, there seemed to be a blacksmiths, and as she walked past she could hear the familiar sound of steel pounding against steel.

To the left of her was the butchers. She decided that it wouldn't be wise to go in there, even if the smell of fresh blood was already tempting her inside.

Looking up she saw Christine, Luciens mother scurry from the ale house and down a side road with a bundle of cloths. Intrigued, she jogged after her towards a small semi detatched house, with a group of people outside, including an exhausted looking Lucien. She aproached him, still clutching the warm bread.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking in through one of the windows. He looked up at her with with tired eyes. "Frena."

Noting that he probably hadn't eaten, Vana broke off half of the bread in her hands and passed it to him. He took a small bite and swallowed it slowly. "She is not well."

Vana crouched before him. "What do you mean? Is it the vampire bite?"

"What else would it be?" He snapped. Vana was instantly taken aback by his bitterness, and she stood again, offended. A stranger next to Lucien, who was leant against a wall turned to her. "She has a fever. She may not live through the day." Then he turned away again. When Vana looked down, Lucien had stopped eating the bread and was staring at the ground, his face expressionless. "How is she being treated?"

"They dressed the wound, and are now giving her medicines of every kind." Replied Lucien.

"I see." Said Vana as she folded her arms. "How long has she been like that?"

Lucien scratched his chin and looked up to the sun to get a better idea of the time. "Well, when we brought her back she was unconscious, and her mother came to us in the early hours of the morning saying she had developed a temperature. Sine then her health has just deteriorated." His head dropped again, so Vana decided it was best to stop talking for now.

She sat against the opposite wall and watched as various people ran in and out of the house, and as more of the villages people gathered before it, all asking questions and all looking concerned. From what she observed, it seemed like everyone knew eachother, which didn't suprise her, given the size of the village and how long the same generations had lived there. Lucien hardly spoke to anyone, except for when his mother came outside looking tired and solemn. He stood and accompanied her around the back of the house. Vana concentrated and could just discern their conversation.

"...getting worse."

"Is nothing working?"

"Nothing. We've tried everything."

"...What's Sera said?"

"She's said nothing. But I think she knows what will happen. She probably doesn't want to be the one to tell Jude and Helena."

"So...Frena's..."

"She's not going to make it Lucien."

Then they were silent. A few moments later, above the quiet conversations between the people that had gathered outside the house, a faint wailing could be heard. Everyone stopped talking and soon, from inside the house another woman began to sob. A large woman in a blue dress and with wispy grey hair tied up in a now failing bun stepped outside the house. Her face was grave as she looked to all the villagers. Lucien and Christine hurried round the corner.

"What is it Sera?" Asked the man who had been waiting beside Lucien. The woman swallowed hard.

"I'm afraid we could not save Frena."

Many of the women in the group gasped, and the men simply looked to the ground.

"I think it would be best if we all left the family for now, so they may grieve in peace." Everyone agreed and then dispersed, save for Vana, Lucien and his mother.

The large woman patted Lucien on the shoulder. "There was nothing more you could do for her my boy." Christine nodded, yet Lucien looked angered.

"If I hadn't taken her on the hunt...she would still be alive..."

Sera shook her head. "Don't say such foolish things. If you hadn't gone on the hunt who knows what that creature would have done if it came upon our village."

Vana stood and joined the group, only to be distracted by someone contacting her via the whisper.

_"Vana, what the hell happened last night?"_

_"Raziel?"_

_"Yes, I'm with Melchiah now. You nearly killed his messenger!"_

_"I know that. But what was I supposed to do? Blow the whole thing by making myself seem sympathetic to the vampires?"_

_"You didn't have to attack him!"_

_"You weren't there so don't think to criticise my actions."_

"Selena?"

Vana's gaze shot up to see the small group looking at her expectantly. "What?" She asked innocently.

"Were you not listening?" Asked Lucien.

She shook her head. "Forgive me, I was thinking about what happened last night."

_"What were you doing in the forest with a group of hunters anyway?"_

"Ah, I see. Sera just asked if you were sure the vampire was dead." Sera was looking at her with one eyebrow raised. Vana nodded. "I'm sure."

_"Why are you ignoring me? It's very childish."_

"Yet you did not take it's teeth?" Asked Sera. "I believe that the family would appreciate the creatures teeth. Or even better, if the corpse was brought back to the village."

_"I'm waiting Vana."_

_"Be quiet Raziel!"_

"Why should we do that?"

"So that we may tear it apart." Replied Sera, placing her hands on her hips. Vana looked at her, not fully understanding how that would help.

"I don't believe it will still be there. There are many animals in the forest that would enjoy some fresh meat."

Lucien nodded. "She's right Sera, and I don't wish to bring one of the parasites into our village. It may draw others."

Christine stepped forward. "I think that now we should simply pray for Frenas family, rather than worry about the dead vampire. And Sera, you should be thanking Selena, for she was the one to kill the vampire." Sera still didn't look impressed.

"Thank a vampire hunter for doing their job? Hm. I'm going home." With that, she left. Lucien turned to Vana. "She doesn't really warm to newcomers. She's not very trusting."

Christine forced a smile. "The family will wish to meet you, in order to thank you for killing the vampire that attacked Frena. But that can wait. For now, why don't you come back to the pub and have a drink on the house?"

"I'd like that." Said Vana as Christine began to walk away, Lucien beside her.

_"I will speak to you later Raziel."_

The tavern was nothing like it was when Vana first arrived. On this night, it was almost empty, and the sound of slurring drunken babble was non-existent. The only people present were Lucien's father behind the bar, and the odd couple of lonely hunters hunched over their pints. The fire that burned to the right side of the tavern provided the only decent light, as outside the sun was obscured by rain clouds. In a strange way, it seemed dark and unwelcoming.

Christine went to her husband to explain what had happened, while Lucien simply sat before the fire in a large arm chair. Christine then served Vana two pints of ale as her husband retreated into the back, looking shocked and angered.

Vana then went and joined Lucien by the fire, pulling up a plain wooden chair and a small table to set the drinks on. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly. Lucien stared at the fire, his eyes wide and his face expressionless. "...I don't know." He replied. Then he took a long gulp of his beer. Vana too watched the fire for a few moments, while taking small sips of her drink. "I hope you don't blame yourself." Lucien's eyes shot up at her. "Of course I blame myself! How could I not? The hunt was my idea, and I was the one to allow her to go ahead on her own." He looked down again.

"You had no idea that a vampire was waiting, and nor did I. It was solely the fault of the vampire that Frena is dead. You can exact your revenge on their race." He half nodded.

Not long after, Luciens father approached them. He bowed before Vana. "Forgive me, I realised that I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Brendan." Vana smiled. "And I'm Selena, but not after the one your ancestor killed." He bowed again, and also pulled up a chair.

"There hasn't been a vampire near our village in decades. I'm going to round up the hunters from the village and scour the forest for more." He seemed determined, but Vana knew there was no need for this.

"I don't think that's necessary. I've been living in the forest on my own for a few days now, and there's been no sign of any vampires."

"And yet Frena is now dead because of one." Said Lucien. Brendan placed a large hand on his sons shoulder. "You have to understand Selena, we are just concerned for the wellbeing of the other villagers. It's just to be sure."

She sighed. "Very well. I'll check the area around me tonight."

She stayed for another half hour before finishing her drink and leaving.

_"I'd appreciate it if you didn't criticise my decisions."_

_"Melchiah would appreciate it if you didn't attack his messenger. He still hasn't recovered."_

_"His messenger killed one of the village's people Raziel. Do you have any idea the trouble it's caused?"_

_"How did you expect him to react to a vampire hunter?"_

_"She was no match for him! She was a novice, we were out training them."_

_"And he was supposed to wait and find out whether or not she was capable of killing him?"_

_"I'm not arguing with you Raziel, I have enough to deal with. Did you know that some of the people here are descendants of the hunters that killed my mother?"_

_"But she--"_

_"Died peacefully in her sleep? She was tortured and murdered."_

_"...I'm sorry Vana."_

_"Leave me now. I need rest."_


	9. Regrets

A few days passed, with no sign of another vampire. Frena's funeral came and went, and people in the village began to move on with their lives. They also became more familiar with Vanas presence, although some, like Sera, didn't seem to warm to her. She gained most of the respect from killing the vampire that had attacked Frena, and the girl's parents were always welcoming.

She spent most of her time talking with the other hunters, learning what she could about this 'meeting'. Many didn't seem to have much of an idea about it, as nothing like it had occured before. Others guessed that there was going to be a large attack on the vampires, but other, well informed hunters had other ideas. A middle aged man, riddled with scars, was the best source of information, yet he told her nothing about how he knew so much.

"There is a man..." He said, before delicately taking a puff of his pipe, "...that I have not seen at any other smaller meeting in the city. He looks strong, and commands an elite group of hunters that show him great respect. He is the one that has called this meeting."

"What is his name?" Asked Vana, who was sat across from the man. He sat back and pulled the pipe away from his mouth. "They call him 'The Saviour'." Vana raised an eyebrow. "I know one of his group, he is an old friend. But now he seems different...quiet and secretive. But all the while, completely loyal to his new master. He told me that 'The Saviour' will rid the land of the vampires, and that he will set up a new Sarafan Brotherhood."

_Sarafan?_

"I believe he wishes to form an army." He lifted the pipe back to his dry lips and took a long drag, before blowing out the smoke across the table. Vana sat back and folded her arms. "So what do you think?" She asked.

"What do I think? I think he could be the one. There have been plenty of hunters claiming to rid the land of the vampires, but none have ever truly stepped up to the job. This man...people are excited about him. He's got a real presence, a real sense of authority about him. I'd follow him." Vana nodded, and passed him a silver coin. "Thank you for your time." With that, she left the table just as Lucien walked into the tavern. He smiled upon seeing her, and waved her over to the bar.

"I've just received news about the gathering. It will be held in two days." Christine sighed as she passed over two drinks. "But you've only just returned." Brendan wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder and squeezed her gently. "Stop your worrying." He said, smiling at her warmly.

Lucien turned to Vana again. "Will you be joining us?" She nodded excitedly. "Good, we'll leave tomorrow."

That night, Vana decided to ride back to the Sanctuary of the Clans to inform Kain of the news. Strangely, her arrival coincided with a meeting among the lieutenants. As she walked into the room, all eyes turned to her, and she was greeted with pleasant suprise. Except from Melchiah, who simply turned away. Kain stood and approached his daughter with a slight grin, but upon seeing her father, Vana was suddenly reminded of the anger she felt when she had learnt of her mothers end.

"Vana my child, what brings you back here?" Asked Kain stopping before her and placing a powerful hand on her delicate shoulder.

"I have news...and questions that require immediate answers." She kept the tone of her voice firm, and the atmosphere instantly changed. Kain raised an eyebrow. "What news then?"

Vana removed her cloak and hung it over her right arm, "There are rumours of a man wishing to restore peace to the mortals, and who wishes to restore the Sarafan." The statement was met with an array of laughter from Kain, Turel, Zephon and Dumah. "There is always some jumped up hunter wanting to bring back the Sarafan!" Declared Dumah.

Vana nodded. "Apparently this one is different. He has a group of 'elite' hunters loyal to him, and it seems that he's got people excited. There are already hunters ready to join him." The room fell silent once more. "The meeting is to be held in two days. I will be going to it, but I cannot say how long I will be gone. Thus, I must ask for none of you to distract me with the whisper during that time, as I cannot afford to make mistakes before all the hunters in Nosgoth." They all nodded at her request. "I will contact you." She said.

Kain turned on his heel and returned to his throne, where he, as was his habit, leant forward on the Soul Reaver. If he was leaning forward, it was a good sign, for he was paying attention to you. "And what of these important questions?" He asked. The lieutenants all looked to her, but it was obvious from the look on his face that Raziel knew what she was going to ask, because every inch of his expression seemed to be begging her not to.

"What really happened to my mother?" She asked bluntly.

Kain frowned. "I've already told you, she died in her sleep--"

Vana scowled, "I've uncovered your lies! I want to hear the truth from your mouth." Everyone was taken back by her interruption of their master, but Kains expression softened.

Looking his daughter straight in the eyes, he responded, "So, the descendants of Claudius still live? I had hoped you would not learn of your mothers true fate, but do not blame me for lying to you. I could not bring myself to tell you the truth, for it was too painful for me to say."

Vana stood like one of the very stone pillars that Kain had built his empire around, while her brethren were silent with both respect and intrigue.

Kain continued. "Your mother _had_ fallen ill, but not so ill that she would die. It was at that time that we discovered that the hunters knew that I had a child, and so a spouse. They were determined to kill you both to get to me. Unfortunately, your mother was too ill to travel, so we decided that I would take you away--"

"You left her to be killed?" Demanded Vana. Kain raised a lip in irritance. "What was I to do?" He growled. Vana shifted her weight onto her left leg. "You could have taken us both!" The lieutenants grew uneasy.

"Taking a child and a sick woman would have slowed me down considerably! We would all have been slain." He said, bearing his teeth now.

"Do you know what happened to her father?" Asked Vana softly. Kains eyes narrowed, and he shook his head.

"She was beaten...and burnt alive." Kain shut his eyes and grimaced. "That was her fate because of your cowardice." At once Kain shot up from his throne, Soul Reaver at hand, and stormed towards Vana. She felt her stomach turn; maybe she had gone too far.

"I have killed others for less than this!" He bellowed as he came right before her. Vana didn't say a word. "Don't you _dare_ seek to insult me before my lieutenants, in _my_ Sanctuary! You wouldn't be here if I hadn't made that choice!"

Vana was shaking, but she couldn't resist the urge to answer back. "Perhaps my mother would be here too, if you had made a better choice..."

The world flashed brilliant white as the back of Kains hand was thrust into her face. She stumbled away, holding her bleeding cheek.

"It was your mothers choice as much as it was mine. We wanted your safety above everything else. Your mother sacrificed her life for it." He said, a tinge of sorrow in his usually authoritarian voice.

"Forgive me father..." She whispered, a tear in her eye. It seemed an eternity that they looked at each other, before Kain reached out to her, and pulled her close. She wrapped one arm round him as he placed a hand on her head. "I did not want her to die Vana. I begged her to leave with me. But she wanted me to take you away to a safer place...and she convinced me it was the right thing to do." Vana nodded. "I understand father."

Still beside her father, she used the whisper to say something else. "_Why didn't you tell me it was Coorhagen?"_

_"I didn't tell anyone. It was my home, and it has stayed exactly the same for all these years...untouched by vampires..."_

_"I don't quite understand..."_

_"My family are still there, one or two survived the plague."_

_"Really? I wonder if I can root them out, see if any of them have anything interesting to say about you."_

_"I doubt it. If anything, I imagine that I have brought shame upon them. Did the descendant of Claudius tell you what eventually happened to the hunters that killed your mother?"_

_ "No...what did you do?"_

_"Ha...I'll let him give you the pleasant details..."_


	10. Getting there

**The City**

Vana was waiting outside the Stags Head as dawn broke on the day of the expedition. She waited on her horse and stared at the beautiful rose pink sky as it slowly turned a delicate blue. She held out her hand to cup her breath as it appeared as mist in the frosty morning air, then she lowered her hand to stroke her horses thick neck. It's ears pricked up as it heard the sound of another horse approaching, and Vana looked up to see another hunter riding from behind some houses. He was followed by two younger hunters, presumably his sons. Next was the scarred old man upon a mighty horse much like Vanas, but its ebony coat had faded to an ashen gray with age.

Next was Lucien, who came on his horse from the back of the ale house, where they must have had some stables. He rode upto Vana with an excited smile upon his face.

"Are you looking forward to finally visiting the city?" He asked. Vana smiled. "I am, but I'm a little anxious too."

Lucien leant forward to adjust the length of his stirrups, "Ah don't be, you'll feel right at home with all the hunters there." He sat up again and waved to some of the other hunters. "You'll be able to mix with the female hunters too, even though there aren't many. But I'm sure all the men will pleased to meet you." He smirked, but she just shook her head, smiling.

They waited another half hour for the rest of the hunters to join them, before they started off on the road south. They talked quietly amongst themselves, many speaking what they would do once they reached the city, which taverns they would stay in, or which family members and friends were there waiting.

They travelled through a vast forest, which Vana had never truly explored, for it was far from her mansion, and she never really had a reason to go there; it's size suprised her.

After a couple of hours, she was sure they had taken the long way round Melchiahs fortress, which would explain why he was oblivious to the very existence of Coorhagen. But then, as they turned south east, she became aware that they were heading either towards Raziel's fortress, or the Sanctuary of the clans, and she was sure that there was no city near either of them. Squeezing her horses sides, she rode up to Lucien.

"Where are we going Lucien?" She asked. He turned to her and grinned mischieviously. "You'll see." Then he trotted ahead, leaving Vana puzzled.

They began to turn further east now, more towards Raziels fortress, and as the forest ended, Vana found that they were now exposed. However, the day was still young, and until the sun set, the humans still had a slight advantage in the light. It was strange been out in the open space after living in the forest so long, and for some reason, she felt like she could breathe better, and relax a little. After another couple of hours of tedious travelling, Vana suddenly realised where they were headed.

"The Abyss?" She asked out loud.

It had been formed as a result of Kains refusal to sacrifice himself, and since that time, Nosgoth had changed for the worse. A massive amount of the land had collapsed, and in its crater, a huge swirling vortex had formed from the many rivers flowing into it. Kain found it to his liking, and had discovered that it was a good way of disposing of vampire traitors, and anyone else that angered him. So why on earth were they heading there?

They came to a huge boulder that Vana had always noticed, but never paid much attention to. Lucien hopped off his horse and picked up a small rock. He raised it up and knocked on the boulder five times. Then he got back into the saddle. A few minutes later, the boulder began so shake slightly, then it slowly began to roll forward towards them, creating a small gap, only wide enough for a horse to fit through. Vana noticed that there was no-one behind the boulder to have moved it, so she could only deduce that it was moved by some form of magic.

Lucien led the way through the gap, followed by the others and finally, an astonished Vana._ How could we not have known this? _She thought._ The entrance is right under our noses!_

They rode down a small, dank passage way, where the only form of light came from candles stood in the recesses of the walls. The sound of the horses hooves hitting the rock floor echoed down the passage, somehow making it seem never ending, and very ominous. Vana realised that she had become tense; her shoulders were slightly raised and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It shocked her when Lucien started talking.

"This leads down to the cliffs of the abyss. The city isn't far now." He said, before squeezing his horses sides and forcing it into a trot. A few minutes later, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and Vana could see the furious waters of the abyss. Before the exit she could also see a small group of men armed heavily with swords, daggers and crossbows. Lucien greeted them and then dismounted his horse. He turned to Vana again. "The horses can go no further, so these men take them down there..." He said, pointing to another passage way leading off to the left. "...they have stables, and your horse will be well looked after."

Not quite knowing what to say, or how to react, Vana simply nodded and swung off her horse. She didn't feel comfortable leaving her horse with these strangers, but she knew that it would be unwise to cause a fuss. One of the men came over and patted her horses neck, before he took the reins from her and led it away down the dimly lit passage.

When the rest of the horses were taken away, Lucien stepped towards the small crevice that led to the abyss. "We have to walk over to the entrance to the city now. There is a line of rope that you must hold onto at all times in order to get there. The water is strong, and you will be carried away if you dare to let go." He wasn't just talking to Vana, but the other young hunters that obviously had never been to the human city. "This is the first and main way out of the city. The second is mainly used as a decoy to confuse the vampires, and that is towards Dumahs lands. No vampire has ever breached the city gates, and as long as they are vulnerable to water, none ever will." With that he cautiously stepped out of the gap. Out of politeness, the other hunters gestured for Vana to go next. She forced a smile back in thanks, and nervously followed.

Once out in the light, she was deafened by the roar of the dozens of waterfalls pouring into the abyss. She stepped out into some shallow water that came upto her knees, and under Luciens instruction, she grabbed hold of the rope and began to side-step along the cliff.

Though Vana had been blessed with being able to withstand water, she found it difficult to cope with so much. She could last in the rain, take a quick, cool bath, even swim for a short period of time, but that didn't mean that it didn't sting. Years of discipline had enabled her to do these things, but she grew uneasy as they approached one of the waterfalls. The water was already upto her neck, and her skin was beginning to tingle.

"Come on!" Shouted Lucien above all the noise, as he noticed her slowing down. Vana clenched her teeth and pulled herself forward on the rope, then swallowed hard as Lucien disappeared beneath the waterfall. Without realising it, she stopped. The water seemed to be getting hot, and the sound of the water cascading down the cliffs and into the abyss deafened her to all else happening. She almost jumped out of her skin when someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was the scarred man. "Get a move on, I'm freezing here!" He ordered, before giving her a slight push.

She pulled herself forward again, and found herself under tonnes of water that felt like shards of glass. The world was flashing white and grey, she was shaking all over, and on the brink of screaming for help. The weight of the water forced her head down below the surface and as she tried to breathe, a torrent of salt water rushed into her mouth. It was then that she let go of the rope.

She started to sink almost instantly, she kicked her legs out in a frenzied attempt to swim to the surface, and it was only by chance that when her arm was raised, someone grabbed her. She was yanked up by a strong hand; up, up, and out of the water. As soon as she felt the air on her skin, she took a deep breath, but it was cut short as she choked on the water still in her lungs. She felt the person struggling to keep a hold of her, and when she felt the rock on her back, she swung her body round and reached out for the rope. Yet this person continued to pull her madly, as if she was still in some great danger. In a daze, she allowed herself to be pulled along, and unwillingly, she slipped into unconsciousness.

A harsh slap woke her. She opened her eyes and sat up, startled.

"See, that's all you had to do! None of this 'gentle nudging'..." Mocked a voice that sounded like the scarred old man. She looked around and saw that they were in a small cave, just outside the abyss. The only entrance to the cave was blocked by another waterfall. "...Where are we?" She asked.

One of the men jabbed a finger at her. "Do you know what just happened?" He demanded. "You nearly bloody dragged Lucien into the abyss you stupid fool!" Lucien pushed the man away, then crouched before her.

"You let go of the rope, and I only just managed to grab you. We're just before the doors to the city. Are you alright?" He asked softly. She nodded. She smiled at Lucien, "Thank you for saving me. I'm sorry...I don't know what happened." Her skin still tingled slightly, and her clothes were soaked, but for some reason, she felt incredibly happy with the knowledge that Lucien has risked his life for her.

He helped her up, and they headed towards two enormous iron doors. "Now, " Said Lucien, "..feast your eyes on this..." The doors groaned open and there, right in the middle of Nosgoth, was the Human City.


	11. The City

**The City**

Vana gasped as the doors opened to reveal towering buildings built of red brick, lining narrow cobbled streets littered with humans. Many of the buildings had no windows, and they reached up to what looked like some sort of ceiling. At this point, she was too stunned to be asking any questions. She hadn't seen so many mortals in one place since before her fathers reign began, and she suddenly became all too aware of what she had let herself in for, because where ever she looked, there were vampire hunters.

People didn't seem to pay attention to the fact that they were soaking wet, and she guessed that they had become accustomed to people coming through the main entrance in such a state. Vanas boots squelched as she walked, and she shiverred from the cold. Luciens hair came down in short curtains, framing his face, much like Raziels. As he walked, he ran his fingers through his thick, wet hair, and forced it all back into its usual style. She noticed that he must have shaved that morning, as the skin along his jawline was smooth, and she realised that it was the first time she had seen him without his trademark stubble. He looked rather smart. Vana reckoned that she must've looked like a drowned rat though, and she ringed the water out of her hair as she followed the group.

A few of the men talked with Lucien, and then turned down a side alley, to where though, she did not know. She skipped up to Lucien and almost slipped on one of the cobbles, yet to prevent this, she grabbed hold of his sleeve, almost dragging him down with her.

"Whoa!" He yelled, nearly falling back. Seeing Vana holding onto his sleeve like her life depended on it, he gave her a coy smile and leant round to help her up. "Careful there Sephina, I may have to start making you pay me back for all the times I rescue you."

A little shaken, Vana stood up and regained her balance. "I..I'm not usually this careless." She said, "..but thank you for helping me up." She almost grimaced as she saw some of the other hunters and mortals grinning at her misfortune, so she tried to look as dignified as possibe. "So, um, where are we headed?"

Lucien pointed down the street, "I'm going to see if we can get you a room in the Inn that I stay in whilst in the city. We'll sit by the fire, dry off, then go to the meeting in a few hours." He made it all sound so casual and normal, but Vanas nerves were starting to test her. She nodded in understanding, and continued following him down the road, almost shaking her head in disbelief at the sheer size of the city. The number of hunters was also becoming increasingly worrying, because she had never even considered the possibility of there being so many. The sooner she could get back to her father, the better.

"Thank you." She said, as she paid the innkeep for 3 nights at the Inn. Then, picking up her pint of ale, she joined Lucien by the fire. He had kicked off his boots and had his feet perched on a small stool in front of the fire. He was currently in the process of removing his armour. "Does he have a room?" He asked simply. Vana sat beside him in a large arm chair. "Yes, he said it's next to yours." She replied, before also removing her boots.

"Really? Well that's convenient." He joked, Vana smirked in response. Lucien then took off his jumper, leaving only a damp, skin tight vest to cover his chest. Without thinking, Vana caught herself admiring the muscles that showed from underneath the thin material. Though they were nothing compared to Raziels, they were impressive by mortal standards. His voice pulled her back from her daze. "Seen something you like?" He asked, grinning. Vanas eyes widened in embarassment as she realised he had seen her looking at his torso. She quickly saved herself though, "No, I was just wondering how you manage to stay in such shape, when all you do is drink!"

At that moment, Lucien let out an irritatingly contagious laugh, which seemed to fill the whole room, and in turn, start Vana off chuckling to herself.

"Charming Sephina!" He finally managed, "But for your information, when I'm not drinking, I'm working damn hard!" He sat forward and looked at Vana, who simply laughed in response, "You work? What exactly do you do?" She asked, looking back at him inquisitively. He rubbed his chin, looking proud for some reason, then replied, "It's hard work training young hunters, and I also kill a couple of vampires now and then." He crossed his arms, looking like he had accomplished something. Before they could continue, the door to the Inn swung open, and a bear like man entered, accompanied by two equally burly men. He had a vicious scar stretching from his hairline, right across his face and then down his neck, disappearing under his expensive looking armour. He stopped there in the doorway, surveying the inhabitants with a true 'holier than thou' expression on his face. People seemed to shrink from his presence, including Lucien, who immediately stopped smiling as soon as he set eyes on the man. After a few seconds, the man stomped over to the innkeep, tossed him a few coins, and then stormed straight towards them. Lucien paled.

"You're in _my_ chair, boy." He growled, standing intimidatingly over Lucien. It angered Vana when Lucien proceeded to stand, in order to let the bully sit down. Lucien looked at her and nodded towards another table as he picked up his things.

"I'm not moving." She said sternly. His face dropped. It was now the turn of the mans henchmen to be intimidating, this time towards Vana. He stood before the fire, appearing like a giant black silhouette as he blocked both the light, and the heat. "And that's my chair." He grinned.

Vana looked up at him blankly, almost with an expression of disbelief. She crossed her legs, in an attempt to look like she was getting comfortable. "Well it's my chair now." She said, smiling sweetly. The men just laughed. Before she knew it, he had yanked her up off the chair by grabbing her under her arms. As she flew up, she prepared herself to attack, not bothering to reach for her dagger, but rather preferring the idea of ripping his throat out. It was when she caught a glimpse of Lucien that she reminded herself of her mission. Her stomach clenched at the embarassement of letting herself be thrown about like a rag doll by this hulking great oaf. He slammed her down into the floor, and though she could live with not killing him, she would not allow him the pleasure of thinking he had hurt her. Lucien looked infuriated, but with a shake of her head, they decided to move on.

Sitting at the opposite, and coldest, end of the inn, Vana let out a hiss. "Bastards." Lucien glared at them, then turned to Vana with a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "I'm fine." She paused, then, "Who are they?"

Lucien took a long gulp of his drink, then hunched over the table towards her. "_They _are the Heyes brothers. The biggest, and the oldest is Furken, the one that picked you up was Darven, and the youngest is Gulvan. They're excellent hunters, some of the best, but nevertheless, they are despised. I can't believe they're going to be staying here." He bit his lip. He looked shaken. Vana asked, "I can understand why they are hated so, but what else have they done to anger people?"

Lucien sighed and sat back again. "What haven't they done? They beat people when it suits them, they take the law into their own hands and deliver their own sick justice, they take women like it's their right." He paused in thought, "They fight other hunters all the time. And they look down on everyone."

Vana sucked in her lips, desperately wanting to go over to them and kill them in the sickest, and most agonizing way that she could imagine. Maybe when her work was done...

"Come, lets not have our spirits dampened by those fools. Shall I give you a tour of the city?" Asked Lucien, suddenly sounding very cheerful. He was already putting his boots on when Vana answered, "Yes, I'd like that."

Many of the streets in the city were identical. The red brick buildings looked almost impenetrable, with their steel doors and lack of windows. It seemed that the place had been built expecting an attack. There were stalls here and there, selling all sorts of goods, but there were no 'proper' shops, with windows full of enticing objects intended to lure buyers inside. Probably because a large window would make a person vulnerable if there was a vampire attack. Unlike in Coorhagen, the people here were not pleasant and carefree. Many of them had most likely come here to flee the vampires that were slowly filling Nosgoth, and she guessed that many of them were all too ready to join the new 'Sarafan'.

Vana noticed groups of women wandering the streets, garbed in long violet cloaks, but to her suprise, underneath their hoods, they were bald! She pointed this out to Lucien, who explained it to her. "Many years ago, when the Sarafan were at their height, they were helped by sorceresses. Their way was lost after the sarafan were destroyed, but thankfully their teachings were recovered some years ago, and now there are some hundred or so helping us." But Vana was still puzzled.

"What exactly do they do?" She asked as they turned a corner. Lucien shrugged. "In all honesty Sephina, I can't say. I know little of their sorcery."

One thing that Vana noticed about the city, was that there was no shortage of taverns. It seemed like there was one on every street, but she guessed that there was so many to cater for all the hunters that had come for the meeting. Lucien met many of his friends as they walked, and he introduced 'Sephina' to them all as his new friend. He also made a point of showing them all her pouch full of vampire teeth. She just smiled and tried to be friendly.

As they came to the end of one street, she noticed that the city had become much brighter, and she noticed that the ceiling had vanished, leaving only a clear blue sky. Looking back, she saw how the city had been dimly lighted by rows of lanters hanging off the buildings, along with street lamps at the corners of each street. It all looked quite gloomy from where she now stood in the light.

"The meeting should be starting soon Sephina, do you want to go and wait in the hall?" Asked Lucien, who had now fully dried off. Vana on the other hand, still had wet hair and the shivers. She nodded and followed him to their destination.

The hall was filled with many huge dining tables, lined with simple wooden chairs. The walls were a dirty beige, interrupted only by large white banners, which she had never seen before. In the centre was a bleeding black heart, pierced by a sword, surrounded by a strange golden glow.

"Is that their banner?" Asked Vana, looking up at one with distaste. Lucien stared up at one as he took a seat. "It must be." He replied. "I've never seen it before." He turned and leant on the table. Lucien had also mentioned something about the hunter claiming to rebuild the Sarafan, but like most, he knew little.

As they waited, the hall gradually began to fill with hundreds of hunters, from all over Nosgoth. The sorceresses were there too, filling some tables near the back of the room. Out of everyone, they were the quietest. Vanas heart raced as more and more vampire hunters piled into the hall, she was beginning to feel uneasy and paranoid. Their table began to fill, and she looked over when Lucien moved up against her. They were shoulder to shoulder now, and he looked at her with an excited smile. After almost an hour, the hall was full, the walls lined with hunters of every sort. Vana tapped the table nervously, while Lucien talked with another hunter across the table about what had happened with the Heyes brothers. Thankfully, they had seated themselves far away from them.

Finally, when they had all been hushed silent, a fully armoured man wearing a distinctive silver helmet took to the stage. Once in the center, he surveyed the room through the slit of his helmet, then finally, he lifted his arms and removed the armour covering his head.

Vana let out a gasp. She recognized something. Not his face. Not his eyes, nor his jet black mane of hair. It was the scar across his left cheek that made her shake with fear. Four perfect scars lined his cheek, from his eye to his neck, and they had been given to him by the claws of a desperate Vana.

Desperate, because she had been fighting for her life against a werewolf.


	12. The Meeting

**The Meeting**

It was difficult for Vana to conceal her shock. She was wedged between Lucien and another hunter, and it took a great deal of concentration for her to control her shaking. Her eyes were wide with fear, but thankfully, all eyes were on the man on the stage, and no one was paying attention to her reaction. All her previous fears had now been increased tenfold by the sight of the werewolf, who was to her horror, a vampire hunter. And what if he recognised her? She wished she had a cloak to hide herself in.

He smiled at the hunters first, revealing a set of perfect white teeth that gleamed in the dim light. He was clean shaven, and was at least six and a half feet tall. When he spoke, his voice was deep and raspy, almost like a low hiss. "My brothers," He said, opening his arms, "and my sisters; I thank you all for coming to this meeting today. It heartens me to see so many of you here, united." Everyone listened intently.

"My name is Akadon. Some of you may have heard of me, but for those of you that haven't...well, let's just say that I despise vampires just as much as the next man. Every time I take the life of one of those filthy parasites, I feel like I have avenged the lives of dozens of innocents that have fallen before that monster. And is it sadistic of me, to enjoy watching them suffer?" Many in the audience shook their heads and murmered "No."

"They have taken our land, our homes, our lives!" The hunters began to stir. "They have murdered and fed on the blood of our children, our wives, our mothers and fathers!" More people began to stir and call out to him in agreement. "...But what do we do?" He asked. The hall went silent in response.

"We scurry away to some dark corner of Nosgoth and we hide! We cower away from those that do not deserve life! We gladly give our families and homes to them!" This angered some of the hunters, who shook their heads in disagreement.

"You do not agree? I see you all down there, frowning and hissing, so tell me, what have we done in retalliation?" He asked, folding his arms.

"We hunt them down!"

"We kill them!"

Others shouted out similar responses, but he looked frustrated. Shaking his head he came back at the crowd, larger than life and louder than before. "We are divided! For every vampire that dies, another two take its place! WE ARE LOSING THIS BATTLE!" The ferocity of his retort caught many off guard, and once again, everyone fell silent.

He calmed down and continued. "The vampire hunters are scattered and leaderless. Alone we fail. Together, we can win. Just look at how many of you there are; this hall is full, and not everyone is inside!" Many nodded with him. He stood there now, proud and strong. "Join me."

He gave it a moment for his request to sink in. Before he could continue, Furken stood. "Join you?" He questioned, mockingly. "Join a hunter that I've never even heard of? If they should join anyone, they should join me!" Many shouted in protest at Furkens interruption, and even more joined in at his proposal. Even Lucien joined in. "No one will join you Furken! You couldn't organize a dinner party, much less an army!"

Furkens brothers stood up next to him, and pushed away others that tried to argue. Suddenly, the hall filled with a deep, bellowing laugh. Everyone looked up to see Akadon on the stage, throwing his head back and laughing maniacally.

"Do you want to share your joke?" Shouted up Furken.

Akadon looked down on him in much the same way that a cat would look down on a mouse before eating it. "You, Sir, are the very reason why the hunters have not joined forces. I have heard of you Furken, and not much praise is followed after your name." Furken looked enraged at being humiliated by a stranger in front of so many. Quietly, he sat down, to everyones apparent joy.

"I will lead you to glory...and even better, I will give you freedom. Freedom from the murderous reign of Kain!" Everyone cheered at this. Vana was becoming increasingly worried. "That bastard sits on his _throne_ at the base of the Pillar of Balance, filling the land with his bloodthirsty maggots! We are taken and used as slaves and toys; unless we're lucky enough to be killed early on! And do you know what he plans to do now? He plans to build giant forges that will use smoke to fill the sky and block the sunlight!" That was the catalyst that brought chaos in the hall. Vana's jaw dropped, but not from the revelation...but from how he knew about it. It had been discussed once or twice in the Sanctuary at council, but it was not common knowledge. He must have someone working within the empire...possibly a vampire.

Men stood and shouted in anger, others just looked utterly shell shocked. If Kain were to build the forges, they would no longer have the advantage of sunlight.

"Are you going to let this happen? Are you going to let him block out the sun?" His question was met with cries of "No, no!"

"**Then join me!**" He shouted. "And we shall once again fight against the vampires as the Sarafan! And we will cleanse Nosgoth of their filth!"

He was a brilliant dictator, there was no denying that; hell, he could probably give Kain a run for his money. Lucien was up on his feet, along with the other 500 plus hunters in the hall. Vana remained seated however, almost in denial that any of this could have happened. She dreaded Kain's reaction. But what she dreaded more was the inevitable war that lay ahead, some time in the near future. A giant clash between the vampires and the humans once more. She was too concerned to stay any longer.

Leaving her seat, Vana crept out of the hall, and away down the streets. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her as she left, and as she reached the now seemingly desolate streets, she found herself sprinting for the giant iron doors. She had to tell Kain immediately. They had to be prepared for an attack.

Vana banged on the doors, but nothing happened. She kicked and yelled at them, but they would not budge. She even tried to force them open. Still, nothing happened. Biting her lip so hard that it produced droplets of blood, she raced upto the nearest human and asked breathlessly, "Where is the exit to the city? Where is the river that leads out of it?" The human she had cornered was a young woman who looked back at her with big, almond eyes. Nervously, she pointed down an alley and whispered, "That way." Vana nodded, spun on her heels and sprinted down the alleyway. She came out onto another street, but she kept on running until she came to a river that ran between the city and a cliff face. Agitated, she ran towards some guards by the river side.

"I need a boat." She said, trying to sound normal. The guards raised their eyebrows. "What for?" One asked. Vana clenched her fists. "I need to leave the city. It's urgent."

One of the guards stepped forward. "Shouldn't you be at the hunters meeting?" He asked. Quickly, Vana thought up an excuse, "I've just been to it, but I need to go home to get my armour. Please, I didn't think I'd need it, but he's forming an army and--"

"Alright, alright! But this way isn't safe..." Said the other guard.

"I don't care, I'm in a hurry. Besides, it's daytime, I should be OK."

The guards looked at eachother, then pointed to a small boat behind them. Before they could warn her or tell her to be careful, she had already jumped into the boat and begun paddling down the river. As she passed them, one called out, "Be careful not to miss the turn off, otherwise you'll end up in the abyss!" Again she nodded, and shouted back her thanks. As she left, she was met with a giant iron gate that disappeared into the water. On the shores on either side of her there were four Sorceresses, and seeing that she was a hunter, they used their magic to lift the gate.

It took her fifteen minutes to get away from the city, and when she was, she took the turnoff to the north, towards Dumahs fortress. Once she had picketed her boat, she again raced off, this time to the Sanctuary of the Clans. Using the whisper, she told her brethren to all be gathered there for when she arrived.

Vana burst into the Sanctuary of the Clans, stumbling as she came to a halt in the center of the platform.

"By the Gods Vana, what happened to you?" Asked Dumah, stepping forward. Kain said nothing. It took her a few moments to regain her usually calm demeanor, and when she did, she stood up tall and addressed her father.

"My Lord, I have just come directly from the hunters meeting. I bring disturbing news." Kain frowned, then waited for her to go on.

Not quite knowing how to explain it, Vana simply put it bluntly. "Firstly, I believe that the man that called the meeting is a werewolf."

"A werewolf?" Asked Zephon, "Vana, our Master is the only being in Nosgoth that can transform into a wolf. Werewolves are merely myths." His tone was patronising, and Vana turned to him. "Nevertheless my brother, he bears a distinctive scar that I gave him myself, when he attacked me as a werewolf." Rather than argue, Zephon just shook his head, and Vana turned back to Kain.

"He is called Akadon, and he's going to form an army. Father...there are far more hunters than either of us could have imagined. There were at least six hundred, and I believe there are more. And there are sorceresses."

"What?" Turel asked. Vana still faced Kain as she replied, "They wield magic, and they use it to secure their entrances. The only way _into _the city is via magic, then water. A boulder not far from here is controlled by magic, and that moves so that you can go down into a passage that leads to the abyss. Then you have to hold onto a rope and wade through the water and under a waterfall to get to the entrance, and even that is secured by magic!" The lieutenants shook their heads and hissed. Kain looked on, expressionless.

"Akadon has rallied the hunters to him, and he knows about the forges."

Kain raised a lip in irritance. "Someone is betraying me." He growled. The lieutenants argued about who it could be, and they each mentioned who they had told of this plan. Even then, no one could think of a likely suspect. Kain sat back, seething.

"We have to watch our backs, and ensure that everything I've just told you stays within these walls." Said Vana. "Make sure your forces are equipped and ready for a battle with the mortals." She sighed. "Do you wish me to return father?"

Kain stared at her for a moment, the rage still burning in his expression. Silently, he nodded. Raziel closed his eyes, wanting to argue against Kains decision, but deciding that now wasn't a good time.

Exhausted, Vana nodded. She left them in the hall to discuss what was to be done next, and she was anxious about having to return to the city.

As she strolled down one of the grande corridors, she was shocked to have someone grab her wrist. She spun round and found herself face to face with Raziel. He looked both annoyed and concerned.

"Raziel? What is it?" She asked, placing a hand on his bicep. He looked straight at her with his magnificent golden eyes.

"You cannot return to the city Vana, it is foolish! What if he recognises you?" He tightened his grip on her wrist.

"I won't disobey my father." She said plainly. Raziel tutted and shook his head. "He will be the death of you!"

Vana stepped upto Raziel, she could feel his icy breath on her face. "Stop treating me like some fledgling Raziel! I asked for this! _I_ did!" She shouted. "You forget how much older than you I am, and you have no right to tell me what I can, or cannot do!" She yanked her wrist away from his grip with such a force that she pulled him forward. His hair wavered in front of his face, and he looked at her again, this time in anger. "And what if you're killed? Death cares not for age or experience, and neither do the hunters! I will not let you go through with this!" He said, grabbing both her forearms. Vana was becoming increasingly agitated, and she struggled in his powerful hands. She bared her teeth, where her fangs had now appeared as she called on her vampiric powers. She thrust her boot into Raziels leg, causing him to fall down onto one knee, and release her. She let out a fierce growl, then wrapped her fingers around his jaw and pulled him up to face her.

"Don't ever try to stop me Raziel. I am not so different from my father in this form."

Their eyes met, and Vana was suprised to see him grinning at her maliciously. Before she knew it, he had slammed her up against the wall, spread her legs using her own, and had her arms pinned to the stone. She glared at him, and he glared at her.

Then she leant her head forward and pressed her lips against his. At first he turned away, refusing her. But he could no longer resist the temptation as she kissed and licked his neck gently, teasing him. He faced her, and kissed her once, before pulling his head back, in an attempt to tease her also. Then he closed his eyes and came forward once more, kissing her passionately. She kissed him back, slowly sliding her tongue against his, and playfully biting his lip. He smirked, then bit her lip too, drawing blood, which he proceeded to wipe away with his tongue. He loosened his grip on her hands and she slid them down to caress his toned chest and back, while he cupped her head in his hands.

Suddenly, Vana felt uncomfortable, like someone was watching, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking straight at her father. She instantly pushed Raziel off, who almost fell in the process as he stumbled back. Before he could question her actions, he too became aware of Kains presence, and he instinctively knelt before him.

Kain glared at them both. He stood there with his muscular arms folded, his eyes switching from Raziel to Vana. "Please, proceed." He said. "Feel free to take time out to spend some intimate time with each other while a new Sarafan is formed, bent on destroying us all." His tone was sarcastic and cold.

"Forgive me, my Lord." Said Raziel with his head bent. Vana felt so embarassed, and she swallowed hard. "I'm sorry Father..."

Kain tutted. "Get up." He said to Raziel, before motioning for him to return to the Sanctuary, leaving just himself and Vana. She was almost shaking.

"I warn you child, do _not_ be distracted." She nodded quickly, and apologized again. "I want you to find out as much as you can about Akadon. Then tell me if he plans to attack and when. And when I say not to be distracted, I do not just mean by Raziel." And with that, he returned to his lieutenants, leaving Vana to wonder about what he had meant. Did he know about Lucien? Did Raziel know about Lucien?

Her head was spinning with all of the days events, so she shook her head, almost as if to shake away all her worries, then left again for the city.


	13. Back at the Inn

**Back at the Inn**

Vana stood before the exit to the abyss, trying not to let the men behind her see how apprehensive she was about having to get back into the water. Anxiously, she stepped in, and grabbed hold of the rope in order to pull herself along. Again it made her skin tingle, and again, she feared going beneath the waterfall. Taking a deep breath, she held the rope as tightly as possible and forced herself forward under the avalanche of water, and after a few seconds seconds she could see an opening in the rock. The rope turned inwards towards the opening, and with the waterfall pounding her back, she clambered out of the freezing water. Relieved, she stood and faced the giant doors that lead to the city. A single lantern was left to brighten this small cave, and the top of the gates were barely visible in the poor light. After a few moments, the doors slowly groaned open for her, and she swiftly made her way to the Inn, where she hoped to find Lucien.

Before she had even opened the door, she could hear raised voices coming from inside, and she spent a few seconds listening outside, before entering. The fire illuminated the room with a brilliant orange glow, accompanied by candles lit on tables and held on walls by brass arms. The Innkeeper was stood in the center of the room, arguing with all three of the Heyes brothers, and Lucien was no-where to be seen. Vana searched all the tables, but they were only occupied by small groups of hunters and locals. Confidently, she approached the Innkeeper and the Heyes brothers. When she reached them, she interrupted the youngest brother and said, "Can you tell me where Lucien is?"

Gulvan went silent for a few seconds, but before he had the chance to open his mouth again, Furken spoke up. "Do you mind, woman? We are in the middle of a discussion." He pushed her aside, and started the arguement up again. "We refuse to share a room! Either you give Gulvan a room of his own, or we'll make you pay." He said, lowering his voice to a growl. The Innkeeper looked pale, but he turned to Vana and replied, "He's up in his room."

Now it was Darven's turn to intervene, but instead of shouting at the poor man for ignoring Furken, he suddenly grabbed him around the neck and lifted him up into the air with great force. The Innkeeper struggled, and though she was used to seeing people being tortured, and used to torturing people herself, she couldn't help but feel the urge to do something. It was most likely because she hated the Heyes brothers, and because they were simply bullies, knowing that their confidence came only from the fact that there was three of them. So she stepped in.

Thrusting her fist forward, she punched Darven in the ribs, under his raised arm. He dropped the Innkeeper, who fell to his knees as he hit the floor, then scurried away. Vana remembered that she couldn't use too much of her strength, as it would give her away; but that didn't mean that she couldn't use her agility and speed. She was a woman afterall.

Furken and Gulvan glared at her contemptuously as Darven bent over, holding his side. "You wench!" He shouted. Furken immediately reached for her hair, and yanked her head down, to which she retalliated with a mighty kick to his kneecap. Still holding onto her hair, he he yelled out in pain, and though it hurt her scalp, she stood up and grabbed his forearm, twisting it until he released her. But as she freed herself, she turned to face the tip of Gulvans blade. He grinned at her, smugly. Darven was stood beside him, also wearing a cocky expression. She glared at them both, until she felt a muscular arm wrap itself around her neck. Furken whispered in her ear, "You're going to have to apologize for that." He tightened his grip.

Everyone in the room was silent, and nobody stood up to help her. Cowards. Furken started to move her now, towards the stairs, and she had a hunch what they intended to do with her. She struggled all the way, trying to elbow Furken in the ribs, and to kick him in the shins, but to no avail. She could hear his sickening laughter behind her, and his dirty hand was firmly placed over her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

At the top of the stairs was a long corridor, with doors on either side. As they passed them, Vana reached out with her legs to try to kick them, but still, people were refusing to help. She was beginning to think that she may have to fight the brothers properly, in which case, she would have to leave the inn and keep a very low profile. Finally, Vana was able to twist her body, and she pushed her feet up against a wall to force Furken backwards into another wall rather heavily. The clatter of armour on stone echoed down the corridor, and the two brothers at the back also shouted up as they caught Furken. Sick of all the racket that had now come upstairs, Lucien decided to put an end to it. Throwing open his door, and storming out into the dim corridor, he found himself faced with Vana, in the grip of Furken.

Her eyes lit up when she saw him stood there, sword in hand, ready for a fight. His expression turned from anger to shock as he realised that they were trying to take he back to their room.

"Let go of her!" He demanded, blocking their way. Sensing her chance, Vana threw her head back into Furkens face, and she felt the bone in his nose shift and crack as she did so. He dropped her instantly, and she shot behind Lucien. Furken was bent over holding his nose and cupping the blood that was now pouring from it. Darven stormed forward and drew his own sword, and was then accompanied by Gulvan. Lucien didn't seem nervous; rather determined and righteous as he stared into their eyes.

"Get back into your room and we may forget we ever saw you!" Said Gulvan, who was slowly advancing. Lucien shook his head. "And hand her over to you? I think not, gentlemen."

Darven laughed, "Does this whore belong to you?" Vana shot him an icy glare, before she drew her dagger.

Lucien nodded, "Yes, Sephina is my wife." Vana almost choked, and she tried not to looked too suprised. "And you will not lay another finger on her." He threatened.

Gulvan slid his blade along Luciens, "Your wife? Surely you don't mind if we borrow her for the night, we'll be ever so gentle with her..."

Vana was disgusted, and she spat at him as licked his lips. "You're pigs!" She shouted. Again they laughed, but it was Lucien that stepped towards them now, almost warding them off. But before a fight could break out, the back of the corridor filled with guards, led by the Innkeeper.

They promptly arrested the brothers and dragged them away, much to the brothers...dismay. When all the commotion had ceased, the Innkeeper approached Vana, smiling pleasantly. "Thank you," He said, bowing, "Thank you so much for helping me. All your meals and drinks are now free, in my appreciation." Then he left them alone in the corridor.

Lucien turned to her and gripped her shoulders. "What did you do?" He demanded. Vana was puzzled, "They were going to hurt him, so I stepped in--" Before she could finish Lucien interrupted her. "You stupid girl! You know how dangerous they are, I thought I told you about them! Do you have some sort of deathwish?" He spun round and marched back into his room. Vana followed.

He thrust his sword back into it's sheath and leant it against a wall. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the small fire in the corner. "Where did you go today?" He asked coldly. Vana shut the door behind her and stood facing him. "I went for a walk." She replied plainly.

He looked up at her, puzzled. "You just decided to go for a walk in the middle of the meeting?" Shaking his head as if he didn't believe her, he turned back to the fire.

"It was too loud, and I felt lightheaded. All this is just a lot to take in."

"So why are you soaking wet?" He asking, not bothering to look up. "You've been out of the city."

Vana swallowed hard, and tried to think up a good excuse. "I don't feel very comfortable here. I don't like being surrounded by all these walls. I feel...trapped." She went and sat in front of the fire, on a small, but cushy rug, with her back to Lucien.

"You have to understand Lucien, I've never been to the city before. I'm used to open spaces...I just needed a bit of fresh air. Some wind on my skin." Damn, she was a good liar when she wanted to be. She twisted her head round to find Lucien watching her, with a softer expression. "You could have said something." He said, indignantly.

She smiled at him, "I know, but I needed to be on my own for a bit. Besides, you seemed to be enjoying yourself, I didn't want to spoil it for you." Lucien chuckled, then came and sat beside her. "You didn't mind that I said you were my wife, did you?"

Vana laughed as she removed her waistcoat. "Well, I was a little shocked, but I understand why you said it. Although 'sister' would have done the job'" She joked, as she then attempted to remove her chainmail. "Ugh, damn thing." She mumbled, when she couldn't take it off.

"Here, let me help..." Offered Lucien. He held the bottom of it and then proceeded to lift it up over her head. Much to her embarassment, the shirt she wore underneath lifted also, revealing her pale torso. However, she soon forgot about that as the chainmail caught onto a piece of her hair. "Ow!" She cried, as she then tried to pull it free. Lucien waited patiently, still holding the chainmail just above her head.

"Right, take it off!" She ordered when she finally released her hair. He swiftly pulled it up and away, only to find a very distressed Vana underneath. "I hate chainmail." She stated as she crossed her arms. He nodded, "I can tell."

"There's another meeting tomorrow Sephina." He said, putting another log on the fire. Vana looked up at him. "What's this one about?" She asked, shuffling closer to the crackling fire.

"I think Akadon wants to create an ordered army of hunters. Not just an unruly rabble desperate to kill vampires. He said that he wants us to be united."

Vana rubbed her cold nose. "He wants to make us like the Sarafan. Probably with a hierarchy of captains and such. With him being the leader. Do you think he can do it?"

Lucien sighed, and then shrugged. "I hope so. I really hope so." They went quiet then. Vana considered the possibilities of a new Sarafan, but then remembered that she had to gain as much information about Akadon as possible. She would do that tomorrow. She was torn from her thoughts when Lucien asked her a rather abrupt question.

"Are you married Sephina?"

"What?" She asked, startled.

He looked at her innocently, "Are you married? Do you have a partner?"

She stared back at him blankly. "Um...No, not really." Lucien raised an eyebrow at her response. "'Not really'?"

She held her hands out in front of the fire. "No, I'm not married." Her shirt was beginning to dry off. She froze when she felt Luciens fingers running through her hair. He said nothing. She cleared her throat, then said, "Why do you ask?"

He was silent for a few moments, then replied, "I was just curious. I'm glad to hear that you're not married."

Vana clenched her teeth, and tapped her knees nervously. "You're glad? Why?" She hated asking so many questions, but she knew how painfully awquard it would be if she didn't say anything.

Lucien leant forward so his face was now next to hers. "I liked the idea of you being my wife." She smiled, acting like he was just complimenting her, and not meaning anything by it.

He moved closer still. "My parents want me to marry, before I get too old. But there was never anyone that appealed to me in Coorhagen. Then you came...and as soon as I laid eyes on you, I wanted you to be mine." He continued to stroke her hair gently, and she hated herself for actually liking it. Lucien was attractive, brave, clever and fun. He and Raziel were worlds apart. She was attracted to Raziel because he was cold, intelligent and very handsome. On top of all that, he was an amazing lover; seductive, erotic, lustful and rough. She imagined Lucien to be totally different.

"Be mine..." He whispered as he kissed her cheek gently. Vana tilted her head towards him, so that their foreheads touched. She looked him straight in the eyes.

"I can't."

"But--"

"I'll see you in the morning."

And with that, she stood and left him. Her and Raziel weren't married, even though she had secretly wished for it. But it felt wrong for her to kiss another man, especially a mortal. Irritatingly, she did like Lucien. She had never had 'true' feelings for a mortal, and she daren't even imagine Kains reaction if he found out, let alone Raziels.

She went straight to bed and hoped that in the morning, her feelings for Lucien would be gone.


	14. A second meeting

Hello there, tis the Maz here. Thanks to everyone for your kind reviews, I'm glad that you're enjoying my fic that I've been planning for like, 3 years now . There's so much I have planned, I want to get to all the juicy bits, and I apologize if some of the chapters seem rushed, but I'm sure you'll all thank me when I reveal all the twists and OMFG NO WAYS later on in the fic. Ooooh I can't wait, hope you like this chapter x

**A second meeting**

Vana slept well that night, and when she woke, she felt much better. Sluggishly, she stood and stretched, letting out a yawn as she did so. Her stomach rumbled, so she decided to go and wake Lucien so that they could have breakfast together, in order to patch things up after last night. Plus, she had left her chainmail and waistcoat in his room.

After knocking on his door for almost ten minutes she assumed that he had left early without her, and she stormed off down the corridor in a huff. She jogged down the stairs and went to find the Innkeeper, who as always, was in the main room that served also as a bar. He greeted her, and asked what she would like for breakfast. She requested porridge and bread, and he shook a bell in order to call for a servant. Once her breakfast had been ordered, he bowed and said, "My name is Karl, forgive me for not introducing myself properly when we first met."

Vana smiled, "And I'm Sephina. Pleased to meet you Karl." She said, extending her hand. He gripped hers and shook it slowly. Then she asked, "Do you know when Lucien left this morning?"

Karl rubbed his short beard and then folded his arms. "I believe he left some time ago. He didn't seem too happy, if you ask me." They spoke for a few more minutes before Vana went and seated herself at a table close to the fire, where she waited for her breakfast. She was annoyed that Lucien had left and not bothered to give her her things, as now she was left to travel in just her grey pants and long sleeved shirt. She knew that wasn't good because at least the chainmail would suppress her 'assets', but now that she just wore this, she knew the men would have a few things to say. She almost felt naked without it. Thankfully, she hadn't left her sword or dagger in there too, or she may have just broken in and reclaimed them.

After she had finished her piping hot porridge and the crusty bread, Vana left her table and headed out towards the hall. She felt quite lonely as she strolled the streets on her own now, without Luciens company, and she was a little anxious about seeing him there. Although she knew that she was just using him, he had been very kind to her, and she did feel guilty about it. She was also worried that she had offended him the previous night, but she knew that there was no time for her waste on petty things; she had to concentrate on the matter at hand. Today, Vana would learn all she could about Akadon, and hopefully, she would discover 'what' he was. Yet she had no intention of getting close to him, none at all. She couldn't risk it.

Again the hall was busy, and she found herself arriving a little late, as many of the seats were now full. So she moved along and situated herself at the end of the hall, where she leant against the cold stone.

Looking about the hall, Vana noticed Lucien, sat beside another female hunter. They were chatting and smiling, and instantly, Vana felt jealous and replaced. Nevertheless, she wouldn't have to worry about him bothering her now.

Akadon appeared on the stage, again wearing all of his armour, which Vana found a little strange.

"Welcome back my friends." He said, smiling. "I can see that today, there are more of you." He was right, there was hardly room to move at the front of the hall, and people had also resorted to sitting and standing on tables near the back. Vana didn't feel as nervous today, as she was a safe distance away from Akadon, and she was becoming accustomed to being surrounded by hunters. She had seen a few of them eyeing her without her chainmail, but she chose to ignore them.

"Yesterday, I spoke to you all of forming an allegiance against the vampires. Of joining together, uniting. If we catch the vampires unaware, we can destroy them. But we cannot just run into battle against them, for we all know how powerful they are. So, we go after their leaders." Everyone listened intently, and some nodded along with him.

"First, we kill Kain." Cheers filled the hall. "Then, we kill his lieutenants. Every last one of them" Vana had to stop herself from shaking her head. "And finally...we find that cursed half breed daughter of his...and we kill her!" There were more cheers. Vana almost laughed. What a pretty picture to paint for the hunters. What a dream to give them. What a shame they would all fail and die because of her. She smirked to herself.

As Akadon went on about their war, Vana suddenly became very uncomfortable, like someone was watching her. She looked around at all the people before her, but most of them were facing the stage. Until she saw one person twisted round to stare at her. Her heart skipped a beat and she went pale.

Dorian! The boy she had freed, instead of offering him to Raziel. He had obviously noticed her, and she cursed herself for letting him go. What a fool! They stared at each other for the longest time, and Vana realised that she was stuck; she couldn't escape now, too many people would notice. She'd be dead in an instant if he pointed her out. She prayed to herself that he wouldn't say anything, and she seemed to shrink under his unwavering gaze. Then a thought hit her; she would have to tell her father of Akadons plan, in case anything happened.

_Father! _She called out, using the whisper.

_Vana? What is it?_ Was his reply.

_I've been seen by someone who knows who I am. I fear he may cause me a few problems. _She said worriedly.

_Where are you? _He asked.

_In the damned hall during a meeting! Surrounded by hunters! I must be quick father - Akadon plans to kill you first._

_Does he now? _Said Kain, not sounding the least bit impressed.

_Then he intends to kill your lieutenants. I believe that he thinks the vampires will be easily defeated if they are leaderless._

Kain laughed. _Fool._

_I don't know what to do father...I'll contact you soon if everything goes well._

_Very well. Be careful._

With that, Vana severed their telepathic link, and pretended to seem as though nothing was bothering her. To her astonishment, Dorian turned round, and didn't say a word. She had been clenching her fists so hard, her nails had cut into her skin, causing little droplets of blood to form on her palm.

"Those of you that wish to join me, and wish to reclaim Nosgoth for the humans, my men will be taking names at the end of this meeting. Give them your name, age, and your preferred method of combat; for example archery or sword fighting. Please state where you are staying, and you will be called upon when the time comes. They will be here tomorrow too, if you don't get chance to see them today, or if you change your mind. And you can throw away your old armour. I already have every blacksmith in the city working on new armour for you all." And with that, he left them to gather round his poor guards, who were left with the lengthy task of taking names off the now 700 strong army of vampire hunters. She could see Dorian now stood up, and he gestured for her to follow him out of the hall.

The city was bright outside, under the warm glare of the sun, and for the first time that day, Vana was glad to be rid of her chainmail.Dorian led her to a dark and ominous alley down the side of the hall, and then turned to her, his face stern. He looked much better than what he had when she last saw him. He had obviously eaten well since they had last spoke, and his hair had been cut, so that it looked much neater. He looked more like an accomplished vampire hunter, rather than the scrawny teenager that she released. It was pleasing to see.

"Vana?" He asked, hesitantly. She half nodded. He frowned at her. "You shouldn't be here." He looked past her to see if they'd been followed, then looked back to her. She couldn't look him in the eyes for some reason, but she did manage to ask, "In the hall...thank you for not saying anything."

He sighed. "When you released me, I promised that if I ever became a hunter, I would never hurt you. Although I can guess that you're up to no good." Then she looked up at him, and smiled. "So we're even then?" She asked. He inclined his head towards her, "A life for a life?"

She nodded. "Are you going to join Akadon?" She asked, out of the blue. "Probably." He replied. "I doubt that _you_ are." He said. She shook her head, "Be wary of him Dorian. He is not what he seems." Dorian looked confused for a moment, then shrugged. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Vana looked to the floor; he was right, who was she to warn him about Akadon? She could understand why he wanted to join him, any mortal would if he promised to get rid of the vampires.

"Well Dorian, I thank you again. It's a shame that we must know each other in these dark times, you're a decent man, and I wish we could have been friends."

"And I too." He said. "Goodbye Vana." He placed a hand on her shoulder as he passed her, leaving her feeling thankful that she had freed him. It goes to show that being mercyful has it's advantages, though she was sure that her father would disagree.

As she left the alley and went out into the large square before the hall, she again saw Lucien, this time without his female friend. He was leaving the hall, and he smiled as he saw Vana, a reaction that she was not expecting.

"I've signed up." He grinned. "When are you going to?" He asked. Vana shrugged, "Probably tomorrow." He looked pleased, and then lowered his voice and said, "I'm sorry about last night. My actions may be a little...premature. Will you forgive me?"

Vana tilted her head to the side and pretended to be thinking hard about his request. "Oh...I suppose so." He patted her on the back, "Brilliant, are you coming back to the Inn for a drink?"

She shook her head, "I'll be there later. I think I saw someone I recognised in there, so I'm going to go and look for them." She lied. She was going to get one of Akadons guards and get some information out of him.

"Alright, I'll see you later on then." He said, before strolling off down a street.

Vana waited in the square for an hour or so, just to let most of the hunters get out of the hall so it wouldn't be too busy when she went back in. As she re-entered, she found that there were at least fifteen of Akadons guards present, but there was one that seemed to be supervising everything. He must have been the second in command. So Vana made her way through the thinning crowd towards him. He stood there with his arms folded, his expression deadly serious, however when he saw Vana before him, it changed from serious, to interested.

Without realising it, she took on her seductive alter ego, as it was so much more easier to learn things from a man if you flirted with him. The man must have been in his late thirties, and he had thick blonde hair that reached down his broad back. Like Akadon, he was a large man, with powerful arms and a thick neck. He had icy sapphire eyes that gleamed in the light, although there was something quite mysterious and freakish about them. He was looking down at her breasts before she said anything, and she playfully lifted his chin with one of her fingers. His thin dry lips formed a smirk as their eyes met, and Vana stood a little closer to him.

"Are you not taking names, sir?" She asked, innocently. He shook his head, and tried to look professional. "I make sure the others do their jobs properly."

Vana looked disapppointed, "Oh, that is a shame. I was hoping that you would take my name, but I suppose I'll have to get into one of the other queues..." Then she went to turn away from him, pretending to see which queue was the shortest. She felt his hand grip her shoulder a few seconds later, and she turned to see him looking hopeful.

"Oh, there'll be no need for that. Come with me, there's some paper in the back..." She almost laughed at his desperation as he pulled her through a door at the front of the hall; this was too easy.

He whisked up some papers that had been left on a small desk, and he promptly took up a small quill to take her name. "So, your name miss?" He asked, looking her up and down.

"Sephina." She replied. He looked up at her expecting a second name to follow, so she said, "I'm an orphan sir, I don't know my second name."

He half looked sympathetic, "Oh, such a pity...and how old are you now?" Vana played with her hair and tried to think up a decent age for herself. "I'm 23 years old sir."

His grin widened, and he licked his lips hungrily. "Ahem, and your preferred method of combat?"

Vana wanted to reply with something like '_My bare hands_', but instead she chose "I prefer to use my sword." She played with the hilt of the sword, wrapping her fingers around it then stroking it gently, arousing the man further. "And where are you staying?" He asked, barely able to control himself now.

"Hm..." She thought, as she didn't recall the name of the Inn. "I'm afraid I don't know the name, but I know the man who owns it. He's called Karl." She offered, hoping he would know which one she meant. "Oh I know the one, The Blue Dragon." He said, as he wrote it down on the paper. As he was doing so, Vana stepped closer. "I don't believe I know your name, sir." She said softly, in a low voice. He looked up, then put the paper to one side and pulled her towards him. She let out a gasp as he yanked her closer, as he was stronger than she had anticipated. "My name is Engel. Now come here little Sephina..."

She placed her hands up on his chest to keep a small distance between them. "Wait, wait Engel, have you never heard of courting? What would your master say if he knew what you were up to?" She asked, looking up to him, wide eyed.

He shrugged, "Who? Akadon? He'd be proud of me for bagging such a catch..." He came in to kiss her, but she pulled away, smirking. "Would he now? He wouldn't be the least but annoyed at you for time wasting?"

Engel shook his head. "Lord Akadon understands a mans needs." He raised a hand to cup her right breast, which he then began to massage gently.

"He sounds like a good man. But I have never heard of him, where did he come from?" She didn't mind him playing with her body, so long as she got her answers.

"I don't know where he came from...but he has killed many vampires...He's a strong leader..." He wrapped his other arm around her back, and let it glide down towards her rear.

"Really? How did he get that scar on his cheek?" She asked, still trying to keep her head away from his. With his eyes still on her breasts, Engel replied, "He got that fighting Kains daughter, the one they call Vana. They say he's the only one to have fought her and lived to tell the tale."

"Really? How admirable. And when was that?" She knew that it was a long time ago, way more than 40 years ago, and if he was a mortal, he was lying. Engel shrugged, "Some years ago now. Before I met him. He has a shady past." She was getting tired of him fondling her now, even though she had done this plenty of times in the past. Then a thought hit her. The full moon was in three days. "Will your master be staying in the city for the rest of the week?" She asked, plainly.

Engel shook his head. "He's going on a hunt. He'll be gone for a couple of days, then he'll be back." Now she was sure that Akadon was a werewolf.

"When does he plan to attack the vampires?" She asked, trying to sound more excited than impatient. Engel smirked, "He plans to attack as soon as all the hunters are ready. He wants to storm the Sanctuary of the clans during a lieutenants meeting. Ha, to see the look on the bastards faces..."

Vana nodded, and decided that she had learnt enough. Smiling politely, she tried to push Engel away. "Thank you for taking my details Engel, but I really must be joining-"

"Not so fast..." He said, pulling her closer. _Not again_ she thought. He brought a hand up to control her head, which he forced towards him with suprising strength. She tried to resist with mortal strength, but he was too strong, and of course, no mere mortal girl would be able to overpower this ogre. He forced his lips onto hers, and proceeded to squeeze her rear end. Knowing that it was best not to draw attention to herself, especially if that attention was from Akadons right hand man, she gave in to him. She meekly kissed him back, and allowed him to put his hands where-ever he wanted. He gripped the back of her head fiercly, as though he would never let her go, and for a time, she felt weak and scared. He was a rough kisser too, violently moving his head from side to side and forcing the most part of his tongue into her mouth, almost making her gag.

A few minutes later, when Engel was in middle of sliding his hand up her shirt, the door to the room opened, and in walked two of Akadons guards. They stopped dead in their tracks and stared at Engel and Vana, before he finally pushed her away, and again tried to look professional. Incensed, she raised her foot and slammed it down on his boot, before storming out of the room and back to the Inn.

"Whore!" She heard him call after her as she forced her way through the rest of the hunters in the hall. She felt violated and embarrassed; but she gained comfort from the fact that when all this came to a head in a battle, _she_ would be the one to end his life.


	15. Revelations

**Revelations**

Vana returned to the Blue Dragon in a foul mood, her lip still half raised in disgust at what had just happened. Lucien watched as she stormed past and up the stairs without a word, and he became immediately concerned. He found her before the door to her room, struggling to get the key to work.

"Damn thing!" She cursed, before thusting her foot forward into the old wooden door. The lock jammed, and the key wouldn't fully turn.

"You have to pull the door in, then turn the key." Said Lucien, who stood there watching her. Not bothering to say thanks for the advice, Vana did as Lucien had instructed, pulled the door in by the handle, and turned the key fully. The lock clicked, and she forced open the door impatiently. She instantly approached the wash basin in the corner, and proceeded to cup the water in her hands and splash it onto her face. She wanted to scrub her skin clean, almost as if she wanted to clean away the very memory of Engel kissing her. Her whole body felt dirty and violated, and given half the chance, she would go back there and kill him in a second.

"Is something wrong?" Lucien asked, closing the door to give them some privacy. She spun round on her heel and glared at him, her face and some of her hair dripping wet. She picked up the rough towel by the basin and began drying her face, as she spoke. "Of course there's something wrong! Ever since I've been here I've been sexually harassed three times! Three! By you, Furken, and now one of Akadons guards!" She rubbed her skin vigourously, giving it a slight pink tinge.

"I didn't harass you Sephina!" Said Lucien indignantly. "I'm sorry if it upset you so much, but I have feelings for you...I couldn't help it..."

Vana felt a pang of guilt shoot through her, she shouldn't have shouted at Lucien. "I'm sorry..." She said faintly, as she went to light the fire. "I just get angry some times. Especially with men. None of you can seem to keep your hands to yourselves." A small spark lit the fire, and underneath the wood, it glowed dimly. Vana crouched down low and began to blow it, in the hope that it would get the fire going more intensly. Once the flames were a few inches high, she stood again, and looked at Lucien, sorrow and hurt in her eyes.

"What did he do to you?" Asked Lucien, staring back at her. She shrugged, "I don't want to talk about it." Then she went and sat on her bed.

Lucien wanted to pursue the subject, "But, surely we can get him punished? We can report him.." He looked hopeful. Vana shook her head. "I don't want all the fuss. Besides, nothing will happen." She took off one of her boots and placed it down on the floor beside the bed. Then she took off the next one and placed it next to it. "I need some rest Lucien. Can I come and find you for dinner in a few hours?" She asked, looking exhausted. Lucien nodded and gave a polite smile. "Of course, I'll either be in my room or downstairs having a drink. Feel better." Then he left her in the calm solitude of her dim little room, with its fading olive walls and crackling fire.

Vana sat there staring at the dancing flames, trying to gather and order her thoughts. She removed her socks and let her pale feet rest on the cold wooden floor. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the past week or so, all the things that had happened and that she had discovered. Coorhagen still existed. Her mother had been killed by vampire hunters. The entrance to the city was so obvious. The city itself. The werewolf that she had fought so many years ago was here now, stirring up the hunters and trying to form a new Sarafan. It all seemed too much. Her mind reeled when she thought about what the future may have in store for her.

She moved further up the bed, and then lifted her feet up onto it. She lay back and let her head settle on the lumpy pillow. Closing her eyes, she drifted off into a light sleep, where she had an unusual dream.

_She was in her old home. Kain was sat on a chair, appearing to be waiting for something, or someone. She was stood in a dark corner, unable to move. Then her mother entered the room, her long blonde hair flowing - but she had black hair. Vana was sure that she had had black hair. Kain looked angered, as he looked at the small bump under Sephinas dress. "A child?" He muttered. This must have been just after Kain had been made a vampire when he returned to see Sephina. She half nodded, her hand protecting the bump. Kain almost spat at her. He raised a hand and delivered a violent blow to Sephinas face, causing her to fall backwards...she hit her head and was rendered unconscious. Kain looked worried. He knelt beside her and tried to shake her back to reality, but it didn't work. She wasn't breathing. He cried out in remorse, and held her corpse close. Vana was screaming at him, but he could not hear her. He called out for Mortanius...Who then appeared like the grim reaper before the vampire. He spoke to Kain softly...it almost sounded like a warning...then he vanished again. Kain looked desperate, and with the knowledge that the Guardian of Death had just given him, he summoned forth a soul. It glowed brilliant green, and illuminated the whole room, before diving into Sephina. She woke almost instantly, cried out in agony, and then changed, her once golden hair turning into a midnight black...Her mother was a vampire? A vampire! _

_Someone was holding her hand. She turned and found that it was Lucien...looking older, with a moustache and heavy stubble. He smiled at her lovingly, then pointed before them to a child. A little boy sat on a thick rug playing with a ragged looking doll, and he looked up to Vana with wide eyes, before also smiling at her. He looked remarkably like Lucien, with mahogany locks and slightly tanned skin. But his eyes were green...like Vanas. Lucien let go of her hand, and approached the little boy, who he then lifted up onto his shoulders. The boy clapped and laughed, and Lucien walked back up to Vana. _

_"Say 'Hello Mummy'!" _

_The boy clapped and repeated Luciens words as he looked down to Vana with his bright and cheery expression. She felt herself smile, and she then raised a hand to tickle the boys round little tummy._

_Raziel screamed out in pain. She could hear her father laughing maniacally. _

_Then she was in darkness. She felt scared and alone...and weak. So weak. Hardly able to stand. But then a figure appeared out of the darkness holding a sword. She couldn't see his features properly, as he appeared only as a blur. She was glad to see him. They spoke, but she couldn't hear the words. Then the figure nodded, and thrust the sword into her gut. But rather than feel pain, it felt as if someone had opened the door to a cell that she had been held in, and she felt free and overjoyed. She had been waiting for this for so long._

She woke with a start, sitting bolt upright in her bed. Beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks, and she was shaking. That dream...it felt so uncannily real. Everything seemed so familiar. She was so confused; it felt like a memory and a premonition. Then someone knocked gently on her door. She almost jumped out of her skin.

"Who is it?" She asked, warily.

"It's Lucien...it's late, so I've brought up your _free_ dinner."

Her eyebrows furrowed down into a puzzled frown as she got up to open the door. "What time is it?" She asked. Lucien was holding a wooden tray with full plate of steaming hot food, accompanied by some wine. "It's late evening. You got back at about two O'Clock, and now I'd say that it's about half ten? Eleven maybe."

She had slept through the whole day! Her mouth formed an 'O' in both shock and confusion, and she promptly returned to her bed, feeling dizzy. Lucien entered the room and set the tray down onto a small table, where there were two simple wooden chairs. Lucien closed the door and then sat down on one of them, and looked at her. "Do you feel better?" He asked.

She half shrugged. "I...I don't know..." The smell of roast chicken, gravy and vegetables filled the room, and was too much for her to resist. She lazily strolled over to the other chair and sat down to eat her meal.

"Were you still asleep?" Asked Lucien, who wiped away some of her messy hair, before it ended up in her food. She nodded, and scraped up some potato to go with the chicken on the end of her fork. Pausing for a drink, and air, she turned to him briefly. She was going to tell him about her dream...but then, it occured to her that if she mentioned that Kain was her father...ha, that would be foolish.

"_You_ were in my dream." She said, almost like it was his fault for intruding into her unconsciousness. He raised an eyebrow in interest. "We had a kid." She said plainly, as she returned her attention to her food.

"What?" asked Lucien in suprise. Vana continued to stuff the tasty food into her mouth. "We had a little boy." She said, between mouthfuls. Lucien waited for more. But Vana wasn't sure if she really wanted to talk to _him_ about it, because for some irritating reason that was beyond her knowledge...she actually liked it. She liked the idea of settling down and having a family. It seemed cosy, and 'nice'. Lucien would be a great partner too...She shook her head.

"It was strange. It freaked me out a bit. Then I dreamt that someone killed me and I liked it." She took a sip of the fruity red wine. When she looked up at Lucien, she couldn't help but laugh at his dumbfounded expression. "I'm not sure I understand Sephina..."

She chuckled, and patted him on the arm. "It's a dream you fool, you're not meant to understand them!" He nodded, and laughed along with her. She felt happy and comfortable with him, and she didn't usually trust people easily. Maybe she did like him. There was no reason for her not to. He treated her well. He would protect her. He was tall, dark and handsome...and the list goes on. She looked at him, in a daze.

_My lady?_

Her eyes widened in shock; she had specifically told them not to contact her via the whisper.

_My Lady Vana? _It was Arlene. Lucien looked puzzled again, this time by her constant changing of facial expressions. She tore her gaze away from him and returned to her food, so she would not have to make conversation with him.

_Arlene what are you doing? You can't contact me using the whisper! _

_I'm sorry my Lady, but I think that you should know this._

_Know what? _Asked Vana, cutting up some vegetables.

_I've just seen Lord Raziel, as I was leaving his fortress after seeing Adreman. _Adreman and Arlene were old friends, he was just a couple of years her senior in vampire years and Vana was sure that Arlene had stong feelings for him.

_Right, and?_ She asked, slightly impatient.

_I'm not sure how to tell you this Vana...but he was with another woman. They kissed, then headed off down the corridor to his personal chambers._

Vana almost dropped her fork into the gravy. Her left hand barely kept hold of her knife, which she then gripped tightly.

_You are sure it was Raziel?_ She asked in disbelief.

"You've gone pale, what's wrong? Is the food not very nice?" Asked Lucien. But his words were lost to her as she stared at the plate.

_I'm positive. It was definately him._

_And who was the woman?_ Asked Vana, hatefully.

_I'm not sure. I think she was from his clan._

_Thank you Arlene._

Vana clenched her teeth. She felt as if someone had just punched her in the gut. The food had no taste, and what was left on the plate no longer tempted her. Lucien was still watching her, and raised an eyebrow as she stopped eating for some reason. "I'm not hungry." She said, her tone plain, not giving away any emotions. How could he do this to her? They had been a couple for so many years. She thought she loved him, and that he loved her. Apparently not. She forced the tears back, not wanting to confuse Lucien further. She pushed herself away from the table and went to stand before the fire, that had almost died out. Lucien followed her, and threw a couple more logs onto the sizzling embers.

"You're a mystery to me." He said, smiling pleasantly. She knew he was stood behind her, and in an instant, something in her changed. She was the proud half breed daughter of the vampire lord Kain, she was an assasin, with no remorse. But right now...she was a mortal, with feelings and needs. This side of her personality rarely made appearances, but when it did, she would fight away all her guilt, sorrow and loneliness, because to feel, was to be weak. But not now. She turned and faced Lucien, then opened her arms and embraced him. It took him a few seconds, but he gently placed his arms around her too. They said nothing. She just needed this now, she needed someone to really care for her. She wanted to feel safe, she wanted to feel loved. And right now, it felt like Lucien was the only one in Nosgoth that could give that to her.

"I'm yours..."


	16. Anger

This is a particularly long chapter, to make up for my lack of updates recently. I'll probably start the next chapter after I post this one, but don't worry if I don't update for a while, I'm just working more at the moment. Oh, and there are some quite violent parts in this chapter, and references to sexual abuse, so if you're easily offended/shocked, maybe you should skip this one.

**Anger**

As they embraced, Vana felt Lucien kiss her head softly, before he held her even tighter. She wrapped her arms around his tense sides and pulled him closer, enjoying the strange sensation of holding a warm body. As far as she could remember, this was the first time she had held a mortal man close and actually wanted it, not just to allure him, or gain something from him; this was for her. Usually she would feel repulsed or on edge, but now she felt calm, and secure. She could feel his breath against her hair, and as she pressed her head against his chest, she could hear the steady beating of his heart.

Lucien stroked her back gently, now all too aware that beneath the tough exterior, there was a woman, fragile and lonely. She had probably never been truly loved, or cared for; thrown into this world of darkness, left to fend for herself against all the dangers within it. He knew that something was troubling her, and he desperately wanted to ask her about it, and help her, but he knew that she was very secretive and suspicious. Thus he realised that he would give her time, give _them_ time, to know eachother better, to understand eachother's feelings and needs. He wouldn't pressure her. He'd take care of her.

So they spent the remainder of the night talking. The wine helped to get things going, and the two of them loosened up a little. Lucien told Vana of his upbringing in Coorhagen and the first time he visited the city. She also learnt that he had an aunt and uncle living on the other side of the city, so they decided to pay them a visit the next day. He had two little cousins there too, that he seemed excited to see. There wasn't much Vana could really tell him about, she had to play it safe as 'Sephina' and made her childhood seem as eventless and boring as she could. They didn't get especially close either, considering that she had given herself to him. He kissed her cheek as he left in the early hours of the morning, but there was nothing especially romantic about the time they spent together.

Closing the door behind him, Vana sighed, already missing his presence. The room seemed colder without him in it, but in his absence, her thoughts only returned to Raziel. An enormous wave of anger washed over her, causing her to clench her fists, ready to punch whatever was closest. But she knew that the only way she could release this anger was to kill something. The woman that Raziel was having an affair with came to mind first, followed closely by Raziel.

Insensed by thoughts of the two together, _touching_ and _kissing_, Vana decided to once again sneak out of the city. Or at least try to.

She opened her door silently, and listened for anyone else that might be awake. Nothing. So she crept down the hall, past Luciens room, and down the annoyingly creaky stairs. Once in the area that worked both as a reception and a tavern, Vana was pleased to find that the place was empty. The room was pitch black, save for the small amount of moonlight that seeped in through the thin royal blue curtains. She stealthily made her way around the tables and towards the door, only to become frustrated when she found it locked. Cursing to herself, she hurried to the Innkeepers desk, and to her delight, found a small set of keys hidden away in a little drawer. Again she went to the door, and found that the largest key fit into the lock perfectly. She turned it, and with a click, unlocked the door. She stepped out into the fresh air and locked the door behind her, dropping the keys into a pocket for her return. Before she could move, the sound of metal hitting cobblestones caught her attention, and she quickly slipped down a back alley to avoid being seen. As she watched, she could see that guards were patrolling the city streets at night, and her brow creased in irritance.

She attempted to get towards the river, but the sheer amount of soldiers made it nigh impossible. So, under the cloak of darkness, she used her vampiric strength to climb one of the buildings. The roof was flat, and from it, Vana could see most of the city, which was much larger than she had initially thought. It had been built to fill a small valley, surrounded by high rising cliffs and mountains. The buildings filled the space available, leaving barely any room against the protective walls around them.

Vana sighed, and stared up at the crescent moon high above her. A gentle breeze drifted across the city, and there was barely a cloud in the sky. She crouched down and rubbed her clammy palms together, not particuarly looking forward to what she was about to do. Her father had the ability to morph into bats when he wished to cross great distances, and this was a skill that he had taught his daughter. Unfortunately, as she was only half vampire, she could only travel a short distance, and when she did, it left her feeling nauseous and weak. But the fury within her needed sating, and it would be foolish of her to kill someone within the city. She stood up tall, stretched her arms out, and taking a deep breath, she transformed into a mass of bats.

She flew to the north, towards Dumah's Keep, and upon landing, threw most of her dinner up. She bent over and heaved, wincing as her gut clenched to force up the food. After a few minutes, when nothing else was left to be thrown up, she straightened her back and found herself facing a rather bewildered Dumahim. The young female vampire stared at Vana, most likely confused because she had just arrived as bats but was also wearing vampire hunters clothing. Vana was unsure if the girl even knew who she was. They watched eachother for a few moments, before Vana wiped her mouth and decided to speak.

"I am Vana, Kain's daughter." She said in a low voice. The girls eyes widened and she bowed before Vana, "Are you ill?" She asked. Vana shook her head, and managed to smile at the girl. "I'm fine, but thank you for your concern." And with that, Vana turned her back on the girl and walked away into the darkness, ready to search for some unsuspecting mortal on which she could exact her rage.

She stalked down a wide footpath, not heading in any particular direction, constantly running what had happened through her mind. Part of her wanted to visit Raziel now, and part of her just wanted to go home to her mansion. She stopped suddenly when she could hear voices ahead. Creeping along the path she could see two Dumahim, male Dumahim, with a female mortal. From where she was now, it was unclear to her what they were doing, but she could hear muffled screams coming from the woman. She sidestepped silently into the woods by the path, and moved closer still, hiding behind the trees and barely breathing. Her eyes narrowed and she reached for her dagger when she finally made out what was transpiring on the path. The woman had been stripped of all her clothes, and they had tied her hands behind a tree. Something was in her mouth preventing her from making too much noise, but she tried nonetheless. Tears streamed down her red and swollen cheeks, and she was shaking violently. Her body was bruised and bleeding, various bite marks punctured the soft skin about her neck and breasts.

Vana was also shaking. Not from the cold, but from the rage that was now reaching boiling point. She couldn't remember a time when she had been more infuriated. Every muscle in her body was hard and tense, her fists were clenched tight, and her vampire teeth were now at full length. Yet how was she to save this woman? If she showed herself now and attacked the Dumahim, she would have to kill the woman anyway, to prevent word of her existence spreading. If she showed herself to the Dumahim and told them to release the mortal, word would spread with the vampires that she had gone 'soft'. She grimaced at the thought of having to explain that to her father.

But her time to deliberate over the problem ran out as the larger of the Dumahim started to untie his trousers and approach the woman. Again she tried to scream, her face now a fierce shade of crimson, and she struggled madly to free herself. The second Dumahim stood behind the tree and held a dagger to her throat as he whispered threats in her ear, obviously forcing her to remain still as his accomplice had his way with her. Vana had had enough, and without thinking, she revealed herself to them.

The second Dumahim that was facing her looked up, and his eyebrows furrowed to form a frown as he took away the dagger and nodded towards her. The first Dumahim yanked up his pants and spun round, his bloodied teeth bared in some form of threat. Vana folded her arms, and shook her head at them disapprovingly.

"Well look at this, another one to join in our fun." Said the first, now grinning at her sickeningly. The other one came forward. "Yes, now there's one for each of us..."

Vana did nothing, she was too busy thinking. Who said she had to vent her anger on a mortal, when there were two perfectly deserving vampires here? If she could enjoy toying with mortal men, surely she could gain the same pleasure from playing with these two. The woman was still crying, understandbly, but her sobbing angered the second Dumahim and he thrust his hand into her already damaged face. Oh yes, Vana would enjoy this.

The first one stood before her, and he held her chin to examine her face. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?" He said, allowing his gaze to drop to her torso. The second pushed him out of the way, snarling at him as he did so. "She's mine! You have her!" He shouted, jabbing his finger at the mortal woman.

"I don't belong to you." Vana stated, disgusted. They both turned to her and laughed, the second one stood mere inches from her face. "You'll speak when you're spoken to, bitch!" With that, he raised his hand, and proceeded to bring it towards her face. In a split second, Vana had raised her forearm to block the blow, and the vampire stood there, bewildered. The first one looked shocked too, but he just laughed at the other vampire. "You weakling!" He bellowed.

The Dumahim before her glared into her eyes, infuriated, and he again tried to hit her, but with his other hand now. The second his hand shifted, Vana reached behind her and unsheathed her dagger, swiftly bringing it forward to sever his hand. He screamed out in agony, and clutched his wrist before the bleeding stump. The first Dumahim blinked, unable to comprehend what had just transpired before him in the space of a second. When he saw the other's severed hand hit the floor, he immediately lunged at Vana, teeth and claws bared.

She calmly stepped to the side as he flew past her, stumbling when there was nothing for him to attack. The second Dumahim reached now for his sword, and he dared Vana to attack him again. She looked at him, fake sympathy in her eyes, accompanied by a pleasant smile. "Do you not know when you have been beaten?" She asked politely. She guessed that she could get away with acting like a vampire hunter, so long as the conditions were not too difficult. As she concentrated on the second Dumahim, the first one appeared behind her and wrapped two muscular arms around her own. The second Dumahim laughed madly, and held the sword up, ready to slit her throat, but before he had the chance to, Vana threw her head back into the nose of the one gripping her and stabbed him in the thigh with her dagger. Then she spun round and hit the sword with her dagger with such force that it sent the weapon flying out of the vampires hand.

"You're no mortal!" He shouted, backing away. She started to respond, but she was cut short as she felt something slice into her back. She gasped, the air forced out of her from the shock and pain, and she realised that she had been stabbed. She bent over and held back a scream, tears desperate to form in her eyes. She had forgotten what it felt like to have the flesh pierced by a blade. Seconds later, the sword was torn from her back, and she let out a pained growl. Dropping her dagger, she clenched her fists once more and listened as both vampires backed away.

"What do you mean she's not a mortal? What is she?" Asked the first Dumahim, distressed. She didn't give the other a chance to respond as she stood up tall and glared at them menacingly. "I am the hybrid daughter of Lord Kain. I am Vana."

Their jaws and weapons dropped, and it was strange to see a pale vampire turn even paler from shock and fear, but it had the desired effect. She cringed from the stinging pain in her back, but she knew that it would start to heal in a few minutes. She ignored their pitiful apologies, and spat some blood to the ground before them.

"You bring shame to the Vampires. Here you are, two Dumahim having your _filthy_ way with a mortal. Is this why you became vampires? So you would actually have the strength to do something like this? She's what, barely even 20? A _child_. You disgust me. And Kain would be equally disgusted by your actions." She spoke from behind clenched teeth, not once taking her eyes off them. "And on top of all that, you have the audacity to fight me. It pleases me to think what Kain will do to you once he hears of this. You will be tortured as much as your bodies can endure, your teeth ripped from your mouth, and then you will be thrown into the abyss, where you will suffer for eternity."

The woman was still now, tears still forming in her eyes, but she was listening intently with a flicker of hope in her eyes.

The second, and probably more arrogant Dumahim stepped forward. "And I take it our descent into the abyss will be followed closely by your own Lady Vana? Surely your life is forfeit if you protect a mortal? Much worse, you have attacked your own kind. I suspect Kain will not be best pleased to hear of this...Or maybe your emotional instability comes from the fact that you're half mortal? Maybe you're taking their side." He grinned smugly at her. The other was smirking too.

Vana stared at him in disbelief for a moment, before she too looked amused. "But, who said Kain has to know?" The vampires looked puzzled. Was she letting them go?

"What do you propose my Lady?" Asked the arrogant one. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled at him. "I don't _have_ to tell my father. I can simply take matters into my own hands and dispose of you both here and now." Her wound was starting to heal.

"Authority is not given to you to punish us! Only our master Dumah, or Lord Kain can do that!" Protested the first one. She shot him a glance with such contempt that he backed down instantly. Yet the other one refused to give up, and Vana was simply getting more and more infuriated.

"You would kill us just for hurting this mortal? We're vampires, we have to kill mortals in order to live!"

Vana shook her head, "And why do you have to sexually abuse a mortal? Why not do it to a vampire? I know why, because you're _weak _and you don't deserve to be called vampires! This form of torture is _not_ permitted! It's disgraceful! This is what common brigands do! Not vampires! And how _dare_ you try to tell me that I have no authority over you! I was alive before your master was given life, and at present I am the second oldest vampire in Nosgoth! I have authority over all, save Kain."

The second vampire laughed, "But you're _not_ a true vampire Vana. You're a half breed, and pretty soon, your strength will be eclipsed by Kains lieutenants." The first Dumahim looked to his accomplice in shock, and closed his eyes tight as he predicted their fate.

Vana took a deep breath. "One day, Kain is going to make me a full vampire, and when that day comes, I will be just as strong as him."

"Kain will never make you a full vampire! You have sympathy for the mortals and mark my words, he will hear of this!" He shouted, but by now, his luck had run out, along with Vanas patience.

She crouched and then jumped at him, her feet landing on his chest, her claws sinking into the flesh around his collar bone to hold herself up. She threw back her head, then fiercly ripped out his thoat. His golden eyes were wide with horror, and he gargled as he tried to feel what state his neck was in with his remaining hand. Vana dropped to the floor and spat out the cold flesh from his neck. The taste of vampiric blood filled her mouth, and it was odd; cold and like a weak vinegar. Not pleasant at all. When she turned round, she saw the other vampire running away into the forest. She caught up with him easily, and using the other vampires sword, she swung and cut off his right leg, just before the knee. He crashed to the ground, and she grabbed a handful of his hair, and proceeded to drag him back to where the corpse of the other vampire lay, not forgetting his severed leg.

"Please, please, have mercy, have mercy on me! This will never happen again I swear!" He begged, but his pleas were ignored. Vana threw him to the ground, her fury now taking over, and even though she knew that this one was no way near as irritating as the other, he was the only thing left for her to take her anger out on.

This show of strength and violence caused the mortal woman to start screaming again, now that she realised who this 'saviour' was, and what she was capable of.

"Aargh!" Screamed Vana as she opened his chest with her bare hands. He started to scream, so she picked up a nearby rock and started to crush his skull with it furiously. It wasn't until there was nothing left to crush that she stopped, breathless. She stood, and stumbled, wiping the blood from her face. The anger was gone. At least for now.

She stared at the two dead vampires, dizzy from both relief and shock. It was only the screams of the mortal that brought her back to reality. She turned round, her expression soft, and she approached the woman.

Softly, she spoke, "I'm going to free you. But if you scream, you will suffer the same fate as them." The woman stared at her, confused, but she was silent nonetheless. Vana reached into her mouth and removed the cloth that had muffled her screams. The mortal was shaking, and she seemed relieved to be able to shut her mouth properly. Vana then untied her hands, and frowned when she saw just how tight it had been around her now bleeding wrists. The woman groaned in pain as she stretched her aching arms, and she tried to then cover herself. Vana handed her the clothes and waited as she dressed herself.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Vana nodded. "You're welcome, but you do realize that you are now a problem for me. You've seen who and what I am." Vana said, facing the woman, then folding her arms. A flash of fear crossed the womans face. "Can you be trusted not to utter a word about my existence?"

The woman thought for a moment, then "You saved my life. You saved me from a long and painful death. I owe it to you. I will not speak a word of you." She spoke honestly, and Vana could not doubt her. She swallowed hard. "We have to get rid of these bodies. They will know that they have been murdered by a vampire and that will most likely cause a feud with the clans. We must get them to the abyss."

The woman brightened up a little, "There's a river not far from here that leads to the abyss, could we not take them there?" She asked. Vana looked up at the moon, which was now sinking towards the horizon. Dawn was not far away, and they had to dispose of the corpses now.

"Very well. We'll use the rope to tie them together, then we'll drag them to the river."

It took them a while to tie the bodies together, along with the severed limbs, but they were finally able to get them to the fast flowing deep river to the west. The woman was incredibly weak, and had lost a lot of blood, but she helped as much as she could.

When they reached the river, she was sweating and panting, so Vana let her rest as she rolled the vampires into the water, where their flesh and bones quickly disintergrated. Vana took the opportunity to splash some water onto her face, in order to remove the blood, and she removed her jumper and washed that in the river too. Unfortunately, blood stains easily, and it was refusing to wash out of her jumper, plus it had splattered onto her trousers too.

"What do I do now?" She asked herself out loud, examining the material. She jumped when the woman replied, for she was stood virtually right behind her.

"Take my dress."

Vana spun round, and stared at her. "But-"

"I can wear your clothes." She said plainly, starting to remove her scarlett dress.

"But, what will your family say if you return wearing-"

"I have no family. No home. No village. I just...wander around Nosgoth."

Vanas jaw dropped. "Well then it's no wonder you were captured by vampires, you fool. Why don't you live in the city? You can't survive in Nosgoth on your own."

The woman just smiled pleasantly, and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't like the city. Besides, I'd prefer to live as a vampire. I asked those two to make me one, but they just wanted to kill me. If I was a vampire, I could defend myself, like you."

Vana blinked and stared at the woman in complete disbelief. "_What_?" She almost slapped her, but resisted the urge, the poor thing had endured enough for one night. The woman, who had long flowing black hair and flawless hazel eyes looked at Vana admiringly, and she guessed what was coming.

"Will you make me a vampire Vana? I want it so bad. I want to be able to defend myself. I want--"

"I can't make you a vampire now! It's a draining process, and I need to save my strength to get back to the city." The woman looked disappointed, and sat back on the ground. Vana stood before her, feeling a great deal of sympathy for her. "I live in a mansion, west of Zephons Cathedral. It lies within the dark forest. Go there, and you will be greeted by Arlene. You may stay there, and when I return, I will make you a vampire." The womans face lit up, and she stood instantly, obviously excited.

"Thank you! Oh thank you so, so much! You won't regret this, I will serve you well."

Vana nodded. "Give me your dress then. I can't return to the city in such a state."

So they exchanged clothes, and unfortunately, Vanas bosoms were slightly larger than the girls, and they barely fit into the boddice. Vana breathed in deeply, and pulled up the material to conceal more of her flesh. "It'll have to do." She sighed. The woman chuckled as she pulled the jumper over her head, "It suits you."

"I will contact Arlene, to tell her to expect you. But for now, I must be on my way, it is almost dawn. And remember, tell no one what happened tonight, save Arlene." The mortal nodded once more, and with that, they parted.


	17. Friends and Enemies

**Friends and Enemies**

Vana spent the most part of the morning searching for a decent clothes shop. Some were tacky and the clothes were old, while others were over-priced and poor quality. When she finally found one that sold clothes similar to the ones she had worn previously, she quickly changed from the dress and decided to head back to the tavern. It was then that she realised that she still had the keys to the front door and that everyone there would be locked in. '_Shit_' She thought to herself as she started to sprint back. However, her new leather pants made that difficult as she hadn't worn them in properly and the leather wasn't that flexible yet.

She walked as fast as she could back to the inn and when she returned, she could hear raised voices coming from inside. She sucked in her lips and anxiously unlocked the door.

"What the-?"

She was met by a red faced Karl, who stared at her in disbelief. There were over a dozen others crowded around Karl, and they all stared at her with similar expressions, though some looked pretty angry.

"What in the hell are you doing with the keys?" Asked Karl, snatching them out of her hand. She recoiled slightly, and tried her best to think of a good excuse. "I..I wanted some new clothes...and I woke up early so I just took the keys and opened the door and-...I'm really sorry Karl. I lost track of time. It won't happen again." A chorus of angered voices followed her apology, but Karl just sighed and nodded, before turning and forcing the men out of the tavern. He looked back at her when they had all finally left. "What if there had been a fire Sephina? We would have been trapped...What's that in your hair?" He asked, pointing. "It looks like blood."

She stepped back instantly and felt her hair, and sure enough, some of it was molded together by dried blood. "I hit my head." She said sternly. Karls eyebrow raised, and he looked at her with a doubtful expression. "You hit your head?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and pretended to rub the area beneath the bloodied mess. "I was careless. I didn't realise it had bled so much...Do you have a bath?" She asked, knowing it would be difficult to wash her hair with the small basin in her room. Karl nodded, "Aye, but you have to pay to use it." He held out his hand in expectance of money. Vana shook her head at him, "I need to get some money from my room. I'll bring it down." She had spent what little money she had with her on the new clothes.

After Vana had paid Karl the right amount for the bath, she set about boiling the water and filling the tub. She had knocked on Luciens door, and after a few minutes he drowsily opened it, looking dishevelled. She apologized for waking him, and told him that she would be using the bath, so he could wait downstairs for her. She had a quick bath, due to the fact that the hot water started to scald her skin, and once she was done, she was shocked at the new crimson colour of the water. Her hair felt softer, and she tied it back into a neat ponytail, before she finally redressed and met Lucien for breakfast.

"Karl said you stole the keys to the Inn." Said Lucien between mouthfuls of porridge. Vana chuckled, "I...borrowed them." She blew on the steaming hot porridge on her spoon before devouring it. She sipped the cold milk afterwards, then ordered some fruit, as her appetite had not been fulfilled.

They left the Inn not long after, as Vana was finishing a juicy green apple. She followed Lucien down the identical streets, and he told her more about his aunt and uncle.

"My aunt Susan is my mothers older sister. She and Fredrick used to live in Coorhagen, but they moved here several years ago to open a bakery. Their oldest child is Nathaniel, and he's eleven, and then there's little Natalie, who's five...I think." They turned a corner and instantly she recognised the smell of warm baked bread. On the left hand side of the street there was a small sign with a cake on it, and she guessed that was their destination.

Lucien opened the door quietly, and peered in. Unlike many of the stores, the bakery had a big bay window where there were already trays stacked with freshly cooked treats. Before he had the chance to step in, Lucien was almost bowled over by a young boy that Vana took to be Nathaniel. A few seconds later a little girl ran out of the store and hugged Lucien also. They all laughed happily, while Vana stood back smiling, thinking. Wouldn't it be nice to live like this? Not to have to worry about conspiracies, affairs and power. Kain always looked down on mortals because of the mediocrity of their short, pointless lives, but Vana wondered; would she rather live forever killing others and being unhappy, or live a mortal life and enjoy it? What was wrong with having a couple of kids, running a shop, going to the local tavern for a drink and being content? She realised that she was very rarely happy as a vampire. She tortured people because she felt like she had to. She drank blood to feel more like a vampire. She killed for Kain. She served Kain. She belonged to Kain. One foot wrong with the Lord of the Vampires and you were dead. There was always a new problem arising, whether it was a problem with the clans, or the mortals causing trouble. But what Vana knew in the back of her mind was that the vampires were winning this battle, and in a century or less, Kain would be the true Lord of Nosgoth. She had already witnessed first hand what his refusal to die had done to the land, and she dreaded to imagine what state their world would be in the future. But none of that mattered now. Here, in the bakery, the biggest concern was not to burn the bread.

"Aunt Sue! Uncle Fred!" Said Lucien, embracing them. He stepped back and placed his arm around Vana. "This is Sephina." Vana smiled and extended her hand to them. Fredrick shook her hand eagerly, while Susan stepped forward and hugged her. Vana was suprised by this show of affection from a woman she had only just met, and she hesitantly hugged her back. "We're delighted to meet you Sephina." She said, stepping back. "Come in, come in, I'll get you something to drink. Nathaniel! Stop harassing your cousin!"

They spent the first hour or so chatting about the meeting and Akadon, who Susan and Fredrick were very interested in. Vana was amazed to discover that Susan had also been a vampire hunter, until she met Fredrick, who then forced her to give it up. She looked a lot like Luciens mother, except her hair was brunette and she wasn't as slim. Yet she was just as pleasant. Fredrick didn't speak as much as his wife, and Vana had no idea what he was before he met Susan. He was tall, with strong arms, with very, very short hair, which almost made him look unapproachable. But he had a friendly face and Vana felt comfortable with them. The children were constantly tugging Luciens shirt for his attention, and he would ignore them for a time, before turning and tickling them both til they ran away. This made Vana laugh, and she was reminded of the dream she had had of them with a child. Before this, she had never really contemplated having children, mainly because as Raziel was a vampire, and vampires are sterile, it was never something that could've happened. She had 'children' in the sense that the vampires she created from mortals had been given this unlife by her, but she had never raised a child, and she had never wanted to. They were screaming, stinking, attention seeking brats. Or so she had thought. Nathaniel and Natalie sought attention from Lucien, but not in an irritating sense...it was playful and fun. Which was why she was now wondering what it would be like to have a baby. If a mortal could do it, surely Vana could? Yet; was she physically capable to become pregnant? She was half vampire. Lucien was a mortal, so there would be no reason why he couldn't father her child, and she was positive, even after knowing him for only a short period of time, that he would be a wonderful parent.

But what was she thinking? He wouldn't be able to be a good father after Kain ripped him to pieces. Vana was brought back from her thoughts as a tiny hand patted her on the arm. She looked down to see Natalie smiling up at her sweetly. "Yes?" Asked Vana, not really an expert at dealing with children.

"Can I sit on your knee?" She asked, holding out her arms waiting to be lifted up. Vana looked around the table for help, but the others were too busy talking. Then she noticed Fredrick look over, and he nodded at her before turning back to Lucien. This she took to be him saying "Go on, you can pick her up."

Nervously, Vana placed her hands under the fragile little girls arms and very carefully lifted her up, turning her slightly so she could sit on her lap and face everyone. Natalie laughed joyfully and wriggled slightly as she tried to reach a biscuit on the table top, before Lucien passed it to her. He looked to Natalie, then to Vana and smiled at her warmly. She smiled back and then bounced Natalie up and down on her knees, causing the little girl to squeal and laugh excitedly.

While the others were talking about a certain family in Coorhagen, Vana was once again contacted via the whisper. It was Dumah.

_Forgive me for using the whisper to communicate with you Vana, but I need your help._

_Help? What for? _

_Two of my clan are missing, and I am concerned. They dissapeared last night, and another one from my clan saw you in the area where they were last known to be._

Vana tensed and her stomach felt like an empty pit. Dumah continued.

_May I ask what you were doing?_

_I was out of the city looking for something to eat. I can't kill any mortals here._

_I understand. Do you know of any other hunters that were out of the city, for we have seen none here for a few days now._

_I have no idea, but I don't think that all the hunters are present within the city now. Do you suspect them dead? _She asked, trying to sound concerned.

_Well unfortunately I can't send others to look for them in the daylight, but they have never been late returning. _

_Well, I'll listen out for information at the next meeting. I'm sorry to hear about this Dumah. _She said sympathetically.

_You have my appreciation._

A short while after that they left the bakery and headed back to the Inn. Lucien had managed to persuade his aunt to give him one of their delicious iced cakes, that he intended to share with 'Sephina' after dinner.

As they walked down the emptying streets under the dusk sky, Lucien turned to Vana. "Do you want children?"

Vana turned her head sharply towards him and almost laughed out at his bluntness. "What sort of question is that?" She asked, frowning at him, not wanting to tell him her recent thoughts on the matter.

He shrugged lightly. "Well, you had that dream about us having a child, and you were really good with Natalie back there. I think you'd be a good mother."

Vana licked her lips and thought about what he had said. She had never actually envisioned herself with a child. "Well...it's never really been something that I've thought about. Why, do you want kids?" She asked grinning and nudging his side. He grinned back at her and nodded. "Yes, I've wanted them for many years now. A little boy, then a girl. Reece and Nicola."

"You've already thought of names?" Asked Vana as they turned onto the street where the Blue Dragon was situated. But their conversation was cut short as they saw Akadons soldiers gathered outside the Inn. They both jogged up to investigate what was going on. Behind the soldiers was a large cart filled with armor of different sizes.

They were being passed to various vampire hunters that resided in Karls Inn, and there were many more gathered inside. Names were being called out from a list by a mans voice that sounded a lot like Engels, and Vana growled under her breath. Then Luciens name was read out. He called out in response and Engel came outside to meet him. He was followed by Akadon, who was overseeing the proceedings. Vanas eyes widened and her heart felt like a solid rock beating inside her chest; Akadon was easily a head higher than the rest of the men, and his presence was highly intimidating.

Lucien bowed his head to both Engel and Akadon, yet they seemed indifferent. Engel looked him up and down. "Where are you from?" he asked.

"Coorhagen." He replied. "I am a descendant of Claudius." He declared proudly. Vana winced. Now they would all be talking about her mother and when her name comes up...

"Is that so?" Asked Akadon, intrigued. He shook Luciens hand. "Then you have a name to live up to. I need not ask why you wish to join my army...this hatred for their kind is in your blood." Lucien nodded, then looked to the soldier that was holding forth his armor.

"Who's next on the list for this Inn Engel?" Asked Akadon, turning to the other man and sounding impatient. Engel scrolled down the list and said out loud, "Sephina."

Vana shrunk back in fear, not knowing what to do should Akadon recognize her. She could slip away, but then what if Lucien noticed? What if Engel noticed? She couldn't risk looking suspicious.

"Sephina?" Akadon repeated, frowning. "Show yourself Sephina!"

Cringing, Vana stepped forward to face the werewolf leader of the new Sarafan.

They looked at eachother for a few seconds. All the hustle and bustle about them seemed to go silent in those few moments that seemed like an eternity to Vana. He seemed to loom over her, and she knew that any sort of resistance would be futile if he recognized her and started a fight. How could he not know who she was? He had seen her up close and personal when they had fought many years ago, and if she could recognize him when not in werewolf form then surely he would remember the face of the woman who had so fiercly scarred his own.

"That's a bit of a poor name's sake." He said in a low, patronising tone. Vana swallowed hard. "Why do _you_ wish to join my army?"

"Because..because vampires killed my parents." She felt herself beginning to sweat. He made her feel very uncomfortable, and she felt like he would strike at any minute.

"Is that so? Well, that's as good an excuse as any. Welcome to the Sarafan Sephina." He grinned, before holding out one of his large, powerful hands. She looked down at it, then hesitantly placed her seemingly small and fragile hand inside of it. He wrapped his rough fingers around her hand and squeezed it tightly, as he shook it. He looked straight at her with his deep mahogany eyes, and as she stared back at him, it felt as though his grip was getting stronger. She tried to act as though it wasn't bothering her, yet she knew that he was squeezing her hand tightly on purpose. Before their handshake came to an end Vana grinned at him mischieviously, before squeezing his hand back, making sure she used enough of her strength to make it hurt.

He pulled his hand away and shook it as if in pain. "That's quite a stong hand you've got there Sephina." He said, forcing a smile, before he turned away to say something to Engel.

Vana sighed, relieved that he had left her. Yet she caught Engel looking at her suspiciously, but before she had time to wonder why, she had a bundle of heavy armor dumped into her unprepared arms. She almost dropped it, and she caught a couple of the soldiers smirking at her apparent lack of strength. She snorted at them and entered the Inn to find out where Lucien had got to.

Strangely, the fact that all the armor was being given out so quickly hadn't bothered her, until she saw twenty or so men and women already trying it on.

Vana had never encountered the Sarafan; although she had heard enough from her father to know that they were not as noble as they seemed. She felt worried now, as if a war between the Vampires and this 'new Sarafan' was unavoidable. Of course she would have to fight for her father, but she could just see herself facing Lucien on the battlefield, and that thought was more than a little unsettling. At least if she fought for the humans, she would be able to punish Raziel for his disloyalty. She was beginning to wonder whether or not there was a way to prevent the war, when Lucien tapped her on the shoulder.

"Come on, let's go upstairs, it's too busy down here." She nodded and followed him up the stairs to his room, where they both dropped their heavy armor onto his bed.

"Phew, I don't fancy fighting in that stuff, it weighs a tonne!" Exclaimed Lucien, standing up straight. Vana sat next to her heavy bundle of armor, which was wrapped in a soft fabric.

Inside there was a large breast piece to protect her torso, vambraces and gauntlets to protect her arms, and for her legs were long slender plates of armor, flexible at the knee and with leather straps at the back to keep them on. There was also a suit of ash grey chainmail and a pointed helmet with an inch high gap for her to see through. She frowned at it. It was too boring. While she inspected her amor, she didn't notice Lucien hold up the cloth that everyones had been wrapped in. She turned her head slightly to see it.

It was exactly the same as Akadons banners that had been in the great hall; a magnificent white, with a black bleeding heart in the centre, pierced by a silver blade which glowed gold. Vana then noticed the golden rope at the top of the material, and at that moment they both realised what it actually was: a cloak. Vana was a little more impressed by this, but as she looked at it, there was something that confused her.

"The heart...it is the Heart of Darkness." She thought out loud. Lucien raised an eyebrow. "It's the heart of the Ancient vampire, Janos Audron." She touched the heart on the cloth. "He was killed by the original Sarafan...but, why would Akadon want this symbol on his warriors?"

The tale of the supposed 'monstrous' Janos Audron, that had preyed on the mortals of Uschtenheim was a legend Vana knew of, but it was of little importance to the world of today. Janos had been killed centuries before Kain had become a vampire, and while he had been one of the Sarafans great conquests, Vana couldn't understand why Akadon thought it important to turn it into a symbol of his power.

Lucien seemed more than impressed with the cloak and armor, and while he examined it further, Vana pondered over Akadon and his motives. She wondered if werewolves were immortal, or how many there were roaming Nosgoth under the vampires noses right now. Perhaps Akadon had been alive when Janos Audron was? No, that's impossible. That would make him centuries older than Kain, and if werewolves strength grew with age like the vampires, he could kill the Vampire Lord with ease. Then again, Vana had fought Akadon decades ago, so they must have naturally long lives, and he had been incredibly powerful even then. Unfortunately, as Vana was not a fully fledged vampire, her strength could only grow so much, and while she was agile and strong she knew that she would probably be no match for Akadon now.

"I'm starved, do you want to go down for dinner?" Asked Lucien, carefully placing the armor down onto the bed. He used his slender fingers to push some of his dark locks out of his face before he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. Vana shook her head. She didn't need to eat as frequently as mortals, but she knew that she had delayed long enough, and now it was time for her to get some half decent information to take back to her father.

"No thankyou. I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm going to go to bed early...if you don't mind." She half smiled at him as she stood, but he looked a little disappointed. Vana patted him lightly on one of his muscular arms, but she couldn't give into him. "You know plenty of people here, so i'm sure you won't be eating alone. I'm just very tired and we have a lot to do this week." She turned and lifted up her bundle of armor, not looking forward to having to wear it. She went to walk past Lucien to the door, but he stopped her by holding her arm. "No good-night kiss?" He asked, smirking. Vana frowned.

"Not as long as I risk getting a rash from your beard." She smirked back at him, then proceeded to leave. Before she left him she looked over her shoulder and said, none too politely, "And don't disturb me." Her rudeness wasn't intentional, and she felt slightly guilty as Lucien looked hurt, before he pretended to be understanding and nodded his head. She smiled, then left him.

Once she was back inside her room, her armor propped against a wall, Vana planned the rest of her evening. She intended to spy on Akadon, hoping that she would be able to glean his where-abouts from one of his guards. She wasn't sure if the full moon was this evening or tomorrow, but if it _was_ tonight then she was in luck. She could see him become a werewolf, and check to see if any of his personal guards were werewolves also. For the sake of the upcoming war, she hoped there wouldn't be too many of them by his side. She strapped on the belt that her scabbard was attatched to, and then sheathed her sword. She slipped one of the daggers inside her left boot, untied her hair and re-did it in a tight plait coming down over her right shoulder, then left her room.

As she slipped out into the corridor she listened to hear if Lucien was still in his room, but she heard nothing so she presumed he had already gone down for dinner. That presented a problem; she wouldn't be able to leave through the main door without him seeing. She looked towards the stairs on her left, and then down the corridor on her right...where there was a window. Grinning, she approached it. She heaved the pane of glass up and checked how far down the small alley was. She was on the first floor, so it only looked about a 15ft drop, which was nothing to her. There was no-one in the corridor, or in the street, so she silently climbed out of the window, hung off the ledge, and then dropped down into the alley.

She could already tell when she looked up to the full moon that tonight, things were going to get _very _interesting.

(( Good God, that chapter took me FOREVER! Sorry if some parts seem rushed or crappy, but I needed to get it done. And I've redone it about 5 times due to writers block, new ideas and various other things. I will try to get the next chapter up before 2008 haha. Hope you enjoy! ))


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